Light Within Darkness
by XSDStitch
Summary: Kuran Yuma, a boy filled with darkness seeks to end a creature of light. Will he succeed or is his path leading to a point within darkness where he cannot come back?
1. Chapter 1

Crashing sounds, pained groans, and the sound of metal hitting the ground multiple times, this could have been heard by anybody who was in the near, as suddenly out of nowhere a man in an armor and a strange vehicle appeared and crashed against a tree that broke by the impact.

The vehicle transformed into a key like object, the hilt was a wing in the shape of a bird, with a blue heart on the tip of the wing pointing to the side, the handle protection was a golden ring on a keychain on the big key that formed like two hands holding something, but the object was too small to be recognized.

The man in the armor took his helmet off and a man in his 50s was revealed. He had raven hair and brown eyes; he was shaking his head after this impact "I am not so used in this sort of traveling anymore…"

Then he heard footsteps and looked up. In front of him was a boy with dark blond hair and green eyes, but the clothes were torn and old looking. The older man guessed that the boy wasn't much older than 7 or 8 years old. He holds out the key like object and told the elder "You seem to have lost that!"

"Thank you! But I would have picked it up on my own!" smiles the elder and took the big key, then he seems to realize something and looked at the boy. Even thought being in such a young age, the boy seems to have a serious gaze and was able to hold the key.

Kneeling to the boy the elder asked "Do you know what it is?" and as the boy shock his head explained the elder "This is called a Keyblade! Only those who are worthy of it can have a hold on it. Since you was able to give it back to me it seems the Keyblade have chosen you to carry one of them"

The boy tilted his head "Would it look like yours?"

With a shaking head explained the man in the armor "No! Like the people each Keyblade is different! Yours will properly look completely different then mine! But I don't know when you will be able to hold your own… it depends on the people when they are ready to do so."

"Will you take me with you since I can hold it?" asked the boy "because I can't leave my mother. Father disappeared some months ago and I am the only thing that my mother has left!"

The man looked at the boy and thought about something else he noticed. While this young human was able to hold his Keyblade, he noticed the strong darkness inside his heart. It fascinates him to see a boy with such a gentle heart with so much darkness.

After all the most common believe is that darkness is evil and light is good. But the older man's opinion was that here are only tendencies but now straight rule with what light and darkness is associated. Light can be used for evil as well darkness can be used for light. It would be wise to train this boy ahead of the regular schedule of training an apprentice to help him to get a hold of his own darkness.

Shaking his head he explained "I won't take you! But we need you to learn how to hold the special gifts you are holding in your heart. For that I think I settle down here until your mother wouldn't be hurt when you are leaving. Ok?"

The boy nodded and asked "Who are you?"

"My name is Ynsedi. Master Ynsedi" told the Keyblade master and asked "And your name is?"

"I am Kuran. Kuran Yamo!" declared the boy.

Maser Ynsedi nods and suddenly his armor disappeared and he wears now a pair of black pants with armored shoes. He wore a blue shirt with a white mantle and a pendant with a symbol that Kuran never saw before.

Smiling to Kuran told Ynsedi "Let us go to your mother and talk to her."

With a nod lead Kuran the older man to his mother.

In the following time settled Ynsedi down in this world, which name was Night Plains since here is a never-ending night.

Each day after clearing his duties by his mother, moved Kuran over to Ynsedi for training. From the Keyblade master he learned a lot and got a small grasp on his darkness. However at times the old man got on his nerves when he explained the one hundred times that the boy has to watch his feelings or he would be consumed by the darkness. It frustrated him more that the Keyblade his master promised didn't show up.

But in the age of ten his misery started…

First of all his mother went sick all of the sudden. Ynsedi did his best to save Kuran's mother but she passed on. For the young boy it was a terrible fate and the funeral lonely… of all people who were by the funeral, only Ynsedi was here as a friend and of course the son of the passed on woman. All the others are only here to show a sort of respect for the death.

Ynsedi and Kuran moved deeper into a forest that exist in the near of his home village. As Kuran asked once why they aren't moving to the place where Ynsedi originates the old man explained "The place isn't any more safely. Until we reached a certain point of your training we can think about moving there and solve the mystery that destroyed this wonderful place."

Kuran accepted it and was more than ever in his training.

Time passed and Kuran got more trained with his wooden Keyblade that were made for exercise reason until he could finally call upon his own Keyblade. He just managed to get a hit on his master's body and they stood panting on opposite sides and the old man smiles "I am really not anymore in form!"

"But you are still giving me a good challenge!" pants Kuran but suddenly lifted his head as he heard a rustling in the bushses. Ynsadi heard that too and turned around.

For a moment nothing happened to came… then Ynsadi turned around and shrugged "I guess it was just a wild ani-"

He was cut off as something jumped out and hit the master into the back. Kuran was shocked by this sudden even that he was frozen. Ynsadi turned around and looked at his attacker.

It was something in an armor that reminds on the mix of a wolf and lion. While having the head of a wolf it shows the mane of a lion and the body it was at least two times bigger than Master Ynsadi. While the face was black like night the mane shines in a bright white and the armor was golden with designs of the sun. It lifted its sword, it was so long like Kuran with his arms stretched out into the air and called "Dead of the Keybearers!"

Kuran rushed forward with a cry and tried to hit the creature with his wooden Keyblade but the creature kicked him with one of the armored legs and send him flying on the next tree. Groaning with pain looked Kuran up and watched in horror as this creature kicked away the Keyblade his master called away and stepped his master into the heart. The old man grabbed on the blade that stepped him before his arms got weak and the life left him.

With all his strength tried Kuran to stand up but his body failed and everything went dark for him. The last thing he heard was "His heart has too much darkness for having a Keyblade!"

Times later woke Kuran up and groans loudly. He forced himself into a sitting position and leans on the tree he hit previously. Looking at the body of his master, he began to cry "Master… I wasn't strong enough…"

He didn't know how long he was out or how long he was crying until he calmed down and stand up. Giving the last honor he buried the body and set a sign and wrote on it "Here lays Master Ynsaldi! I won't never forget you!"

Kuran looked through the house and collected everything he found to be useful for either using it or selling before taking the Keybalde of his master. He looked at the pendant he got from him. It was the very same the old man wore as they met the first time and was the first present Kuran got from him.

He looked at the weapon of his master and said "This weapon master… will be the one that ends this creatures live!"

Then he began to move forward but stopped and shock his head "No... you told me I shouldn't let too many dark feelings control me…you told me that revenge will only lead to the own destruction. Then I won't hunt this beast for killing you…but for preventing that it will slay other keybearers!"

With that he walked off into the woods. The people of his home village saw him the last time the very day as he appeared and sold several things off and bought a few other things before disappearing forever…


	2. Chapter 2

Traverse Town… a world that only comes in exist when people needs a refugee. It is created by the remains of lost worlds and due the destruction by Heartless many worlds got lost in the last years. In a side street where nobody bothers to look a black vortex opened and a man stepped out, except his green scarf around his neck everybody could only see his dark clothes and shoes. On his back was something long tied on but covered by black blankets so nobody could see what it was.

Everybody in the town only knows him by the name "The Dark Traveler." While not causing any trouble in the town and also stays out of any conflict that doesn't involves Heartless only a few things are known. Nobody has a clue when and to where he always disappear of but he always comes back at least once in a month to refill supplies and meets with a moogle that sells information.

The owner of the inn, in the town, was able to tell what he always orders for food and drinks but this was it. Nobody knows from where the boy with dark blond hair and green eyes came from or what his goals are or where he got his black weapons. The one's who withmessed him fighting heartless tells that he uses a pair of black swords where the blade is formed like a stretched out crystal while other claims he has small throwing knifes and daggers formed like that. A third ground tells he wields an axe with the same diamond forms as blades.

All can be true or legends. Fact is only he is a mystery for everybody…

But it was time that he meets with a mystery by himself. A mystery that will change his course of life forever!

It began that he returned from one of his countless trips and if anybody could look at his face right now, they would be able to tell that his trip was another failure for him.

However as he reached the plaza of the first district he noticed a boy that holds the weapon that looks like the combination of a gun and sword. The Traveler remembers that this boy is called Leon even thought it was clear that wasn't his true name.

Not wanting to deal with this wielder of a gunsword the Traveler climbs on top of a building but stopped as he saw another boy. He never saw him before but this brown haired boy in red clothes and big yellow shoes hold something that he never expected to see: A Keyblade!

The Traveler kneeled down and looks how the scene went on. The boy and Leon began to fight but after a while the boy fell unconscious down. From the looks the traveler knew that this Keybearer was a newbie in the Keyblade business but it doesn't bother him. He found at least something that might bring him closer to his goal and decided to follow this boy.

He followed Leon who brought the Keybearer to a house and waits outside, hidden in the shadows. However as suddenly Heartless appeared he cursed himself and dark mist formed around his hands and grew longer, forming two black swords. The blades formed like diamonds and charged at the dark creatures, fighting them off.

As he finally got rid of them he wondered why it was so easy this time but remembered that a true Keybearer is on this world. Which means destroying Heartless for good is now possible so long he stays here.

In the distance he heard a commotion and rushed over. He spots the Keybearer how he finished off an armor like Heartless together with a duck and an anthropomorphic dog. He watches them how they talked with each other and heads of to somewhere.

The Traveler followed them but as he noticed that they left the town via Gummi Ship he grit his teeth.

Traveling with Gummi Ship may have good sides but for his intension it is a back drawn. He cannot just follow them. For his means of transportation he needs a clue where they are going to go.

"Guess I have no choice but try to find them on my own again…" he mumbled and opened the dark vortex he came from before. He walked through it and looked at so many worlds as possible. He didn't meddle with the business of these worlds only asking people out, however he didn't find a single clue until he came to a world he only heard of: Hallow Bastion! Many of Traverse Town originates from there but nobody seems to remember its true name.

He saw the dog and duck from earlier with a different kid. One with silver hair, blue pants and yellow shirt. He carried the Keyblade of the other kid which confused the kid.

However he spots in the distance something and smirks "Finally I found you!"

While he runs over to engage the one he found he unwraps the blanked around the object on his back and releaved another Keyblade. "Master Ynsedi… soon your Keyblade 'Caring Wing' will stop this creature from slaying Keybearers!"

Just as creature with wolf head and lion mane wanted to attack, the Traveler slammed into the armor. The creature groans in surprise and looked "Why did you do that? And why do you look familiar?"

The traveler holds the Keyblade in front of him "I am Kuran Yuma! And I am sure you remember this Keyblade!"

"You are this boy with this Keyblade Master! Since you hold the blade of this old man you seem to are able to hold one but cannot yours your own so you are not a true one! I give you a chance to leave and never be bothered by the order of light!" told the creature

"Does this order has the goal to destroy the keybearers?" asked Kuran but the creature shock his head "no! Only me! My brothers and sisters are failing to see that the Keybearers are the source of all evil in this universe! If it weren't for the Keyblade wars, the holy world would still exist and not splintered apart into several different and smaller worlds."

"I don't know about the Keyblade wars but I know you cannot blame the todays Keybearers for that! So long you don't differ between the ones who would do truly evil things with the Keyblades and the ones who tries to do good even if they fail that, I will be after you!" told Kuran and jumped forward with his masters Keyblade in the hand. The creature blocks his attack with ease with the large sword he holds.

Kuran jumped into the air and in his right hand a small dark cloud formed before he tossed three small knives, miniature versions of his black swords. However they disappear effectless as they impacted with the armor of the creature. With a chuckle he laughed "You form your weapons by concentrating pure darkness into forms you have in minds! A good tatic but without any change against somebody with a nearly pure light like me!"

"You will be stopped!" called Kuran, ignoring the taunting and rushed to his opponent, the Keyblade ready to strike. However the creature blocked it again and punched him with the free hand, sending him flying and he lands with a loud crash on the ground. The Keyblade strikes the ground next to him.

The creature walked up and slammed the blade into the ground next to his head "Only because you cannot truly wield a Keybalde I let you life! However if we ever meet again, you will die like your master! Consider this about your future actions!"

Then the creature left. Kuran just laid there in pain before struggling up in pain and grabs on the Keyblade of his master "Caring Wing."

"Why… why I am not strong enough!" he groans and let out an inhuman cry due his helpless state. He put his masters Keyblade back on his back and opened a portal, a portal that won't lead him to a world but to the Realms of Darkness… and he stepped through!


	3. Chapter 3

Realms of Darkness…

A dark place where the only inhabitants are those who are fallen in Darkness, who are in most cases the so called pureblood heartless.

Kuran was walking on the dark paths of this place and due the darkness inside his heart the Heartless avoid them due their instinct, the dark blond man didn't care for the heartless… for him they are mindless and instinct listening beings.

Theoretical he could hold control over some of them if he wanted to in other worlds but in his mind, such an action were a pure sign of weakness in the own heart, not to mention that his master would have aspect him to fight these creatures.

Due his travels he heard about nobodies but since he never encountered one of them, but he didn't bother to find out more of them.

He loves and hates this place, it reminds him on the never ending night of his home, while in contrast there is no feeling in time. He has been here only twice before… the first time by accident and the second time to find clues about the remains of fallen worlds that land here sometimes. He knew here are much more worlds are lost in the time he left hollow Bastion because he saw the numbers of people that came into Traverse Town.

Where did the majority of the worlds go after falling into the darkness?

Anyway… in both cases he was gone longer in this place than he thought, the first time he was gone for hours instead of the few minutes he assumed to spend on this place and the second time it has been days.

He didn't keep count how long he was here now… in the other worlds days, months, and even years could have already passed if he decides to leave this dark place.

He looked to the side of the path and saw some of the heartless retreating into the darker shades of this realm. He wondered why they didn't attack him since the Keyblade of his master was clearly seen. Could it be that he really doesn't have what it takes to be a Keybearer?

Not wanting to think more about this he just turned left as he saw the path was splitting. Here are so many things he could wonder… how paths existed, if anything else then heartless lives here and so on…

But the only the thing in his mind is his lost battle, he was pathetic as he faced the creature and the only thing he learned from it that he is too weak against it and that here is a complete order of these creatures of light.

He fought many opponents since leaving his home world but never saw that his darkness based weapons failed to even scratch an opponent.

He called one of his swords into his hand, while training he didn't want to show everybody the keyblade nor use it for something else then this creature. So he looked for weapons and discovered that, while unable to cast any type of magic, he could manifest his darkness into solid forms. He trained this ability so far that he was able to create a small set of weapons for himself, also he learned how to manipulate the darkness to the extent that he could use it to pass thought dark corridors without risking his already with darkness filled heart.

He dismissed his sword and keeps walking until he noticed something. He turned and was clearly feel something that didn't belong to this place… light!

This realm was pure darkness and any light would be consumed by the darkness self, but still it is here… this Light Within Darkness!

He placed a hand on his heart and thought the little light in his own heart… it might be confidence or fate but he wanted to investigate this matter!

So he moved towards this light. During the walk he noticed this light was also moving so he assumed that somebody with a lot of light in the heart was walking there.

Then he noticed a change of movements, the light keeps in one general area but moves faster around. He saw such pattern of movement before and knew that only a fight was the reason of this movement pattern!

Enhancing his speed, he moves so fast he could to the source of this light and just as he reached the remains of a sort of plaza he stopped… looking at this source of the light… or more the person which light filled heart sticks out in this never ending darkness. He realized that only his senses fooled him by seeing a light! He only felt her light in her heart in the distance and that is why he thought he saw light.

However he didn't move as he saw the fighting stance of the blue haired women in front of him. While not knowing how long she was actually was here, he thought she looks like being around his age.

She has blue eyes, and she wears a black and blue, high-collared halter top, two pink, intersecting belts over her chest, and black shorts, and odd silver badge that looks like a heart with on cross below. It reminds him somehow on the symbol on the emblem heartless, on her arms are white bell-sleeves and tan, fingerless gloves, she also wears a small, segmented piece of armor on each of her upper arms, she wears what appear to be black stockings or socks on her legs which reach to about halfway up her thighs, leaving a small area of bare skin on her upper thighs. Kuran notices that she also bears two strips of blue cloth that drape over either side of her hips, along with a smaller, white strip of cloth tied around her waist, draped in the same manner, finally, she wears pointed, armored, silver boots with a sharp "hook" on the outer side of each.

He looked at her weapon and realized she was holding a Keyblade in her hand. It has a smooth, cylindrical, grey shaft that tapers outward at both ends, it has a boxy guard, made up of two small, light grey boxes and copper rod. The base of the guard connects to the grip, and both sport several small indentations lining the, the grip itself is squared, the teeth are in the shape of an "E", the keychain is on several simple keychains and he couldn't make out the form of it.

He moved in and just as she defeated the last of the heartless she seems to notice that somebody came from behind her and she turned around in tension. As she saw that it wasn't a monster she loosens up a bit but was still caution.

"Who are you?" asked the women and Kuran began "I could ask you the same! It isn't common to see a keybearer with such light walking around here!"

"Don't avoid my question" told the woman and noticed the Keyblade that was tied on his back. "You are a keyblader?"

"Well… I" he began but called "Look out!"

She turned and several high level Heartless surrounds them. Kuran looked at the female and called "Keyblade and so much light isn't a good combination in this place! You need to leave now!"

"And how?" was her question but suddenly he grabbed her arm and twirled her around into a dark portal "I hope you will land on a good place!" muttered Kuran and in his hand a large axe, following the design of his swords and daggers, appears and he called to the heartless "Come on! I will fight you and get some frust off!"

The woman stumbled out of the Portal and just saw it closing as she regained balance. After looking around and found herself in a town. She knows that she never was here before but can tell that this world holds a beauty on its own. Deciding that she would try to figure out she began to walk, in the distance she could make out a tower with large bells on the side and a clock, she decided to walk over there and get a first view over the town.

After she reached the plaza in front of the tower she realized it was also a train station. She looked over the tower and just stand in front of this as she heard a cocky voice "You must be new here when you stare at this old thing like that!"

She turned around and found a man in a black coat, spiky red hair and green eyes. He waves to her "Hi! I am Lea! Got it memorized?" while pointing to his head with a finger.

She nod to both question "I am Aqua! Say Lea… where am I?"

"This is Twilight Town! It is exact in the middle distance between the Realms of Light and Darkness!" told Lea and laughs "Even thought I came originally from Radiant Garden!"

"How did you end up here?" asked Aqua worried since travelling between worlds was only common for Keybearers.

"Long story but in short version I would properly still do the dumpass things if it hasn't been for my friend Roxas! That is why I am here! To hold a tradition between us alive!" told Lea and took out two ice creams "Hope you like Sea Salt Ice Cream! In my old habit I bought two instead one!"

Aqua nods "Sure. Why not!"

With that Lea smirks in leads her on the top of the bell tower and sat down. Aqua did the same with being a little nervous since if she falls down it would be a long and deadly fall. She took the ice cream and began to eat it while looking at the sun with Lea. Then he began "How did you end up here?"

"How much do you know about the worlds?" asked Aqua in return and Lea laughed "Enough of them! I travelled on many of them and helped out a few keybearers and managed to get an own in the end!"

"You are a Keybearer?" asked Aqua and Lea just explained "Yup! Even thought it takes a lot to change the style! Originally I fought with two Chakrams. Man was it a surprise to everybody as it popped into my hand."

Then he materialized it in his hand. The handle looked like a chakram like Lea talked about was the blade reminds on a flame. Then she asked him "Who is your master?"

"The only master running around officially is Riku! But I took my lessons I had so far from this old magician and three old fairies after the old Yen Sid send me to them!"

"You know Yen Sid?" asked Aqua suddenly "I have to see him instantly! I need to know what happened due my absence! And how long I was gone?"

"Wowowow! Calm down! I bring you to him! But first let us enjoy our ice cream!" countered Lea "After all I had a lot of workout today."

Aqua sighs in defeat and ate her ice cream. She wondered in her mind how much has changed and if her friends are alright… after all from what she head from this man she met in the realm of Darkness before she met the other… a lot of time must have passed.

She also wondered about the guy who brought her here… why did he had so much darkness in his heart and why was he carrying a keyblade on his back?


	4. Chapter 4

After the Sea salt ice cream, Aqua moved under the guidance of Lea to the station inside the bell tower and after Lea bought two tickets they moved to a train that Aqua finds that it looked odd.

It was a blue train with golden markings and a magic head on top of it. Also a star in front of the train was seen, and the star motives were on the sides. She looked at Lea and he shrugged "The old mage just somehow knew we need this ride!"

"Master Yen Sid's abilities are really impressive! I don't think I will be close to him" told Aqua and Lea laughed "Don't turn yourself down! In time I will be a Master as well and even surpass the others! I want to be immortal by being remembered!"

"You are strange!" laughed Aqua and went into the train with Lea. As they are inside it began to move and as Aqua looked out a while, she saw the wide sky and noticed they are on magical created rails. She sat down again and Lea asked "How do you know this old man?"

"I land once by his tower and he was expecting me as I was looking for two of my friends. He also told me about the demise of my mentor" told Aqua

"I don't ask!" told Lea and Aqua nods.

After a while the train stopped and they left it, looking at a surrealistic, crooked, golden-brown tower. The tower is topped with blue cone-shaped turret roofs, decorated with moons and stars.

"How long was it since I was here?" asked Aqua but of course she doesn't gain an answer yet the Keyblade Master and Lea walked into the tower and moved up to the study room.

With a respectful bow she spoke the rather severe-looking old man with long, grey hair, bushy eyebrows, and a long, grey beard that parts down the middle. He wears the famous, conical sorcerer's hat on his head. The hat was blue and decorated with several yellow stars and a yellow crescent moon. He wears long, billowing blue robes with sky blue lining, "Master Yen Sid! I have returned

"I see it Master Aqua! I sensed your presence in the very moment you entered Twilight Town. And I can sense also that you are wondering how long you are gone and what happened in the meanwhile!" told Yen Sid and Aqua nods. The old Sorcerer explains "You have been gone for nearly 10 years and missed the battles against the heartless and Nobodies!"

Aqua learned how the treats of the Heartless and Nobodies were ended by Sora, how the worlds got lost and retrieved and also in the final about the trials to gain the mark of mastery for Riku and Sora went.

"So Xenahort is back with 12 vessels, still looking for a 13th one and wants still the Χ-Blade" summarized Aqua. Where are Riku and Sora?

"Riku is right now in the world Radiant Garden, looking with the inhabitants there about clues who could be the alternative vessel for Xenahorts schemes. Sora returned to the Dreaming Worlds and didn't return yet! However! I received word that somebody who went him, returned to his home." Explained Yen Sid and Aqua nods. However the old sorcerer asked now "Tell me Aqua! Where did you have been and how did you reach Twilight Town?"

"After I left this place ten years ago, I placed Ven in the remains of the World of Department and sealed it off, creating a strange looking castle. I assume Ven's body is still there. Then, following a feeling, I head to Radiant Garden and faced Terra, who was controlled by Xenahort way back. After defeating Xenahort, he began to fall into darkness and followed him. However I couldn't pull him up and sacrificed myself so Terra would return. That is where I lost my armor and Keyblade. According to somebody I met, I was in the Realms of Darkness."

"Who did you met in this dark place were only creatures of darkness lures?" asked Yen Sid and Aqua replied "Somebody who seems to have lost his memories. He told me that he met somebody who was unique and stored data inside him."

"That must have been Sora! Riku told us about meeting an image of him due his travel into Sora's heart to awaken him." Went Yen Sid in and Aqua continued "I left the man and walked around, fighting the dark creatures there. After finishing off another group of them, I noticed a heart with strong darkness and little light behind me and saw a boy. I thought he looked like to be in my age but this could be wrong since I didn't thought I were already in the Realms of Darkness for 10 years. He grabbed my arm as another group of heartless appeared and threw me through a dark swirling vortex."

"Pretty reckless of this guy to threw you through a dark corridor! You could have lost your heart by this trip!" laughed Lea "But on the other hand… staying too long in the Realms of Darkness isn't a good thing as well if you plan to keep your heart!"

"It sounds like you have been there once!" told Aqua and Lea shrugs "Only once by a scout mission! This was before Roxas came into the organization!"

Aqua wanted to say something but Yen Sid interrupted her "This boy who sends you thought this dark corridor… how he looked like?"

"Dark blond but wild hair. I guess he cuts them self with a knife, dark clothes that were tight on the body but loose enough to let him move freely. He wears a scarf that matches to his green eyes." Told Aqua and suddenly remembered an important detail "And he seems to carry a Keyblade on his back!"

"A Keyblade? Can you discripe it to me?" asked Yen Sid. Aqua gave her best to give so many details on the object she only saw briefly. Then Yen Sid creates a magical image of the Keyblade and asked "Was it this one?"

"I only saw the handle and Keychain but yes! It was this one!" replied Aqua.

A deep sigh came from the old man "This Keyblade is called Caring Wing. It belonged to a Keyblade Master named Ynsadi. Like Xenahort he was a curious man but unlike Xenahort he wouldn't take such drastic measures to satisfy his curiosity. Last time I saw from him he was looking for an student. A student who could continue his research. The last thing I ever got from him was that he found a boy, who could hold his Keyblade. You know Aqua what it means if a stranger is able to hold the Keyblade of a Keybearer!"

"The stranger would hold the ability to wield a Keyblade on the own" she replied and Yen Sid continues "Indeed! However… the boy he found seems to have trouble to summons a Keyblade. To be exact he wasn't able at all to that time I received the message. Ynsadi assumed it was the darkness in his heart. He never met an individual with so much darkness but so little light without loosing the heart."

"Could it be that I met this student?" asked Aqua and Yen Sid nods "It is possible! Your description of his body features fit to what I received from Ynsadi. And clothes can be changed over the course of time."

"What should we do now?" asked Aqua. Yen Sid thought for a long time before he answered "Take the young Kairi under your care. As Keyblade Master you are allowed to train those who can wield the Keyblade. Then use the Gummy Ship that will arrive this place soon to reach Radiant Garden! I want that to meet this boy and the seven princess of light needs to be protected

"To prevent the recreation of the Χ-Blade I can understand that it is necessary to protect the seven princess of light. But why bringing somebody to you, who is full with such darkness?" asked Aqua

Yen Sid replied "I want to know what happened to Ynsadi and I fear that another power is raising against us." told Yen Sid. "I will pass the message to the other who wields Keyblades so our chances we to find him are higher"

Aqua nods in understanding. It was hard to believe for her that a boy, she just saw for brief moment's turns out to be in such an important role for a former Keyblade Master. However something bothered her. "Master Yen Sid. The boy… he looked troubled. Just like he lost something or failed in something."

"Hmm… we need to know what happened to Ynsadi. Whatever it was, I couldn't hear it from the stars since it is also new to me that my old friend has died." Said Yen Sid "Now go and meet Kairi and train her in the art of the Keyblade!"

"Yes Master Yen Sid!" told Aqua and left the room. Lea told her where to find her and went to Master Yen Sid "Why is the little princess getting an own teacher while I am still stuck on you, Merlin and these three fairies? This Aqua is much younger then you and doesn't seem to have any experience in teach things!"

"Lea! You path is different than hers. I can see in the stars that her destiny is tied to the young Kuran. Your path is tied to Sora's Nobody Roxas!" explained Yen Sid and Lea laughed "Now I want to know how you plan to take Roxas back from Sora's body without making him a Heartless!"

"I admit, I have no clue how we return Roxas back to the world of existence, even thought he is a nobody. But he can become his own person since we learned from Sora's tales that a nobody will seek for a new heart and also will slowly gain a new one with the time. That is why you almost believed that you can feel emotions when you have been with Roxas! He was tied with Sora and due Sora's unique heart, the process of gaining a new heart was speed up."

"I take your word old man! But the next Keyblade master that shows up will be my teacher, if I didn't gain my own master title to that time!" replied Lea and turns around "I am now off to Radiant Garden, meeting up with the former comrades! I have the feeling I should warn them as well about the change of situation!"

"Do what you think you need to do! Even if I bind you to this place with my words, you would just shake off these chains and do whatever you want. Or why else did you just take off to help Mickey and Riku to save Sora?" came from Master Yen Sid and with a smirk Lea began to leave the Mysterious Tower, heading for Radiant Garden. Even thought it was still in a state where Hollow Bastion would fit with ease as name.

Aqua reached the room where Kairi was training. As she saw the red hair of the girl, the picture of a small five years old girl flashed through her mind. Remembering how she met Kairi the first time she mumbled "The one who unlocked her ability to hold a Keyblade must have been me… she must have touched my Keyblade as I protected her from the Unversed."

In this very moment, a dark corridor opened in the outskirts of Hollow Bastion and Kuran walked out of the portal. He looked around and mumbled "Strange… this isn't Traverse Town. Why I am back to Hollow Bastion?"

He moved towards the castle, believing that there might be answers and stopped as he noticed the town in the near. It was inhabited again!

He moved down to the town and asked an random passant "Excuse me… I have been away from this place for a while and missed a lot. What happened here? Last time I was here, it was under the control of Malicifent."

"Where did you have been the past year? This place got his original name back, Radiant Garden and this old witch and their heartless are gone now! The only heartless that are left are the usual amount for a world!" told the Passant and Kuran nods and thanked the woman. He moved around for a while and spot some Moogles. Knowing these little creatures he would have a clue where to find somebody.

The Moogle greets him "Hello, Kupo! How can I help you?"

"I am looking for a Moogle named Herito. Last time I saw him he was in Traverse Town" replied Kuran and the Moogle answered "He got a house in this town! I have here a map where you can find him."

Kuran knew what this meant: He took out his purchase and paid the Moogle a fair amount of money. Taking the map he went of to find Herito. As he reached the place marked in the map and shocks only his head "Herito… you will never change!"

He stood in front of a small house but everywhere are the windows are either one way mirrors or nailed shut. IN traverse town it was the same way back since Herito was overprotective about his business. While most Moogles are selling goods, Herito was dealing with information and information was what Kuran was in need.

He knocked on the door and a cranky voice called "Go away! I don't open the doors!"

"Not even for a good customers who needs to buy so much information that you make an fortune?" asked Kuran

"This voice…" came from the building and suddenly a hidden window opened. A yellow eye stared at him and mumbled "By the…"

Suddenly the window shut up and several clicks where heard. Kuran counted and heard clicks of 16 locks, 12 blocking bars and one self shooting cannon. Sometimes the boy wondered if the owner of this place will ever be in trouble with the officials.

The door swung upend and a grey humanoid rabbit with the for Moogles usual pompom in green color shouted "Kuran! Where have you been? I began to miss you since you didn't show up for an year!"

"That is why I am here. I need a fill about the happenings of the past year and know that you are the source I can trust the must." Told Kuran and moved into the house. The Moogle looked outside the door before closing it shut and locked up again.

Herito moved in front of Kuran "Have a seat! I just get something to drink, the usual I assume?"

"That is right Herito!" told Kuran and sat down. A few crashing sounds from the kitchen were heard before Herito came back with a cup of coffee and a large bottle. The moogle sat down and drank from the bottle and Kuran took the cup of coffee but he could still smell that in the bottle was for sure something with an alarming amount of alcohol.

"So Kuran! Before I start where did you have been? I need to know that or else I might tell you something, that you already know!" told Herito and Kuran replied "Simple: The Realms Of Darkness! Before that I was on Hollow Bastion were I found the one I seek for but lost to him."

"From you voice I take you are very down by that! Guess you should have spent your times on some worlds instead of the Realms of Darkness! Take this advice! Once I told you everything you want to hear for the money, go to some worlds and get involved by their business! Then you might find answers!" told Herito.

Kuran looked at the Moogle. While most time the Herito was just drinking large amounts of alcohol, he was a reliable source of information and has somehow the ability to give people the advice they need to find what they need. However this ability kicks in only randomly so they are normally for free. Taking this advice seriously he asked "Can you fill me in with everything that happened since I was around?"

"Here are only small facts! The rest are legends of rumors but don't worry! This will be taken in account when I give you the bill!" told Herito and told Kuran everything he knew about the events of the last year. It wasn't much for Kuran but at least he got a general grasp of the events. He finds it only sad that Herito didn't know where to find this Keybearer Sora.

"Thank you! I have at least a clue on what happened. And I am sure one of us will find out what the next steps are! How can I recognize Sora?" asked the blonde and the moogle answered "Brown and spiky hair, blue eyes. Normally he is with a duck and a dog and currently he runs in black clothes. He usually wears also a necklace with a crown pendant."

Kuran nods and hands a big bag of mummy to the Moogle "Thank you! You really helped me out!"

"Don't forget my advice to you!" was the reply and Kuran said "I take it by my heart"

"I hope you heart follows the right light" told Herito and leads Kuran outside before closing up his house again from the inside.

Kuran shook his head again and walks thought the streets of the town. In a moment where he thought he was alone, he opened a Dark Portal. However before he stepped through he felt something underneath the castle… it felt familiar but different the same time. Deciding to investigate it he moves to the source of this feeling.


	5. Chapter 5

Aqua and Kairi just reached Radiant Garden via Gummi Ship with Lea, as they were contacted by a man with yellow hair, goggles, white shirt, and grumpy face. "So you are this Aqua and Kairi? Then go instantly into the castle in Ansem's study! Your red haired friend will know the way!"

With that, the communication was cut off and Lea shrugged. "This guy is so grumpy I don't think it can be topped!"

"Why should we go to the Study of Ansem?" wondered Kairi but nobody knew until Lea got an idea. "In the near is a hidden Chamber! Xemnas went there frequently even before he turned all of us into Nobodies!"

"Do you know what in this Chamber is?" asked Aqua but Axel shrugs his shoulders. "No clue! This guy always kept his secrets from us. I only know that he talks with somebody in there even though it is supposed to be empty."

"Then we might know once we see it with who he was talking."

"Nice idea kid!" told Lea.

They were transported into the middle of the city and Aqua gasped at the sight of what happened to the beautiful town she once saw. She learned about the darkness that took over this place but that it would become that terrible wasn't in her imagination.

"From your reaction I get that you were here once!"

"Indeed… I was here in search of my friends. I also met them here." Told Aqua. "And I met Kairi here the first time."

"Here?" asked Kairi confused then she suddenly remembered, "You… were the women that protected me from the monster back then?"

"Indeed! And your ability of the Keyblade must came from that time. I think you touched my Keyblade while I was paying attention to the Unversed," explained Aqua and sighs.

"Just to get it memorized in the case I run into your friends: what are their names?"

"I doubt that you might encounter them on their own… Terra is consumed by the Darkness, and Ventus lost his heart."

"Fallen to Darkness and losing your heart are not really good ways to keep going!" replied Lea but suddenly stopped his tracks. "Did you just say Ventus?"

"Yes I did," told Aqua and suddenly she heard Lea laughing. "If I had known he was the friend of a Keybearer I would have taking him more serious with his wooden sword!"

"You met him?" asked Aqua and Lea nods. "I did! And we had a small brawl which I lost! And when I think of my friend Roxas then I just realize that Ven and Roxas looks pretty much alike!"

"Really?" asked Kairi in confusion. "But Roxas is Sora's nobody."

Aqua thought about this fact and wondered "What if… Ventus's heart looked for something that comforts him once it got lost? He might have met Sora before… after all Terra was in Destiny Islands once like me…"

"How do you know he was there?" asked Lea and Aqua explained, "I noticed that somebody has passed on to a boy on the islands the potential to bear a Keyblade."

"Let me guess: Blue eyes and wild brown hair?" asked Kairi with a giggle but Aqua shook his head, "No… it was a silver haired boy."

"That must have been me! After all you look familiar," told a new voice and they turned around.

"Riku!" exclaimed Kairi. "Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to see you so soon again Kairi! Anything new about Sora?" asked the silver haired boy but Kairi shook her head. "No… he is still gone. At least as I came here."

Riku nods at that. "I see! Cid sent me! He wonders why you took so long. And I wondered how he happened to be a friend of Sora's."

"You know Sora! He gets friends everywhere." Laughed Kairi and Riku laughed, "Yeah! That is right! After all, he has a wood puppet and two dragons in his disposal of friends. And I guess a ghost wouldn't be surprising as well! I just remembered that we need to go to the world of one of them soon."

"Why?" asked Aqua and Riku told her, "I met somebody who told me to get over there as soon as possible. But right now we just have a kind of a mess to clean up so neither Sora nor I got the chance to check it out."

They nod in understanding and Lea asked, "Let me guess: It is the homeworld of our big red dragon with a scar over the eye?"

"That is right," replied Riku. "We have to find Fugeo's world and visit a dragon named the Chronicler."

"The Chronicler?" asked Aqua. "I thought he was only a myth"

"I met him once in a way, during my mark of mastery," told Riku, "So it isn't that much of a myth but we should go now or Cid will get really mad. He is already not pleased by Vexen and Zexion."

"Yeah. Even and Ienzo are able to get very much on somebody's nerve!" laughed Lea. "But how did you come out with the others? After all, one was killed by you!"

"The same I could ask you since you are the reason why two of them were killed," countered Riku and Lea shrugs, "Details, details."

They walked to the castle and just as they reached the study of Ansem, alarms went off. Riku runs off to a room where the former Nobodies and the members of the Committee were waiting.

"What happened?" asked Riku once he was in and Cid growled, "Intruders happened! Somebody broke through the security of this place and headed to this chamber. Or at least what is supposed to be there according to these strange heads!"

"Whoever got pass the security must be quite powerful. It might be an interesting research object," added Even in and Cid groaned at that. A boy in black clothes and brown hair explains, "Tron only noticed it after the hidden door was broken open."

They look out of the window of the computer room and spot a hole on the ground in the giant hall that waits on the next exit.

The boy, who's name is Leon, went with Riku, Lea, Aqua, and Krairi down the stairs, which took a while, and then they passed a corridor of cells and Aqua wondered what the cells are for.

"We hold in there our research objects, some of them were quite violent," told Even who had followed them.

Lea joked about how he had to dispose some of them in his good old days as Organization XII member. Then they reach a broken open door and inside they found a room with a throne in the middle. On the walls are the symbols of the Nobodies with chain designs lining to the middle of the room. They walked into the room and Aqua gasped as she spots the remains of an armour and a Keyblade. Even asked if she knows about this. Aqua nodded. "These are my Keyblade and Armour. But from the look ofthe armour I don't think I can ever use it again."

"And the keyblade you showed me during the training?" asked Kairi and Aqua explained sadly, "This was the Keyblade of my Master Erasqus…"

"That explains why the Keyblade you held during our first encounter didn't quite fit to you," told a voice from the throne and Kuran raised from there.

Even put his hand on the chin. "Facinating… so much darkness but so little light and still looking as he were fine!"

"You!" called Aqua. "You sent me through this dark Corridor to Twilight Town!"

"Twilight Town? Well that explains why we didn't run into each other sooner… I ended up here directly as I tried to reach Traverse Town"

"Traverse Town only exists if somebody needs refuge and I suppose your world still exists?" Even went in and Kuran just turned around. "I don't care if my world still exists or not so long as I didn't reach my goal… and for that I need to find out something first."

"And what is it?" asked Aqua but Kuran just opened a dark corridor. "I don't know… I only listen to the opinion of somebody right now in the hope he knew what he said to me."

"You are not going anywhere until you come with me to Master Yen Sid, and explain why you carry a Keyblade like that!" protested Aqua but Kuran just laughed. "Try to stop me Keybearer"

Just as he wanted to go he suddenly saw Riku in front of him with his Keyblade raised. "You don't go anywhere!"

Kuran summoned his swords into his hands and replied, "You cannot stop me. Not even with your dark powers."

Riku hesitated about the fact that Kuran just saw through him that easily but replied, "You won't scare me."

Lea shrugs and called his Keyblade. "Did nobody tell you never to mess with Keybearers? And you are facing right now four of them."

Kuran glanced around and dismissed his swords. "Fine"

"What is your name anyway?" wondered Kairi and added in, "I am Kairi!"

"Kairi? Fitting name for a princess of Light," told Kuran and replied to her question, "I am Kuran… Kuran Yuma… former apperentice of the fallen Keybearer Ynsadi."

"Why fallen?" gasped Aqua and Kuran just replied, "Death…"

They questioned him more but he was silent since his last answer and no sound came even from him. But he took out one of his blades as they tried to touch the Keyblade of his master. Aqua assumed that this Keyblade means a lot to Kuran so she accepted the decision that he keeps this blade.

On the way back they realized too late that Kuran has opened a Dark Corridor on the ground to let him fall in. Even was fascinated by his great control over darkness but Riku just countered, "If he keeps on like that he will lose his heart! And whatever he is after, I don't think it is worth the risk!"

Leon nods. "Indeed! But we only know how he looks like, his name, and that he carries a Keyblade of a dead master… while we might find him once he show up somewhere, where we warned the people but doesn't give out any of his intentions or goals. But maybe we might find this out"

"And how?" asked Lea. "By using a Crystal ball?"

"No! By buying information. Here in the town is a Moogle that sells information. He is odd but with the right prize you can know everything from him," explained Leon but Aqua was not found by the idea "How will you know that this moogle is telling the truth then?"

"I don't but it is the only source I can think about right now and Merlin isn't here in this moment… he has to do something in his own homeworld" told Leon and adds, "Which is odd in my eyes since I know him. He either lived here in Radiant garden or Traverse Town… the only times he was gone was as he had to attend on something."

"I don't care where this weird magican is so long he doesn't mess up with my machines!" growled Cid who just came down. "He is just to much messing around!"

Nobody said a single thing but they head to the top again and left to the town to visit the Moogle Leon talked about… a Moogle who might get soon some sort of trouble…

* * *

**I know it took some time to subtmit it but due a few not foreseen circumstances it took Longer then I thought.**


	6. Chapter 6

Kuran falls out of the dark Corridor he made to escape from Radiant Garden and looks around where at he lands: And found himself inside a cave.

With no clue where he is, Kuran began to walk around inside the cave until he found a large wall in front of him. He looks at it and knew that this one was manmade, probably very old and has been part of something else. However he cannot clearly say who it was since he never spent any time to learn about history.

Suddenly he heard something from the wall and stepped away from it. Then as cracks appeared on the wall he rushed away from it, and just in time since a giant drill broke through this wall and Kuran was really surprised by the looks of it.

Suddenly a small obese with a shaved face and briefly mustached appeared. He is buck-toothed, wears goggles, a headset, an overcoat, and galoshes. He scratched his head and suddenly a voice asked, "Mole! What's the matter?!"

"Mole?" thought Kuran to himself while the little man answered, "Somebody is here!"

"What?" asked another voice and a slender man with light brown hair and brown eyes rushed in, with wearing spectacles.

"How did you get here?" asked the man and Kuran replied, "Fell into a hole and found myself in this cave."

It wasn't the complete truth, but Kuran couldn't say that he was from a different world and made the hole to escape.

"Do you want to tell me there was a different entry to these caves?" asked the man and somebody else who came in asked, "You mean we didn't have to take this dangerous route?"

Kuran looked at the owner of the voice and saw that is was a young slender woman with black shoulder length hair, brown eyes, and fairly tan skin. She wears white shirt, blue overalls, aqua hat, and tan gloves.

"I don't know… if there was another entrance when it wasn't in the Journal." Told the man. Before the girl got to reply somebody else told, "Even if there is another entrance to this place, who knows if we had ever found it. But for now we have to concentrate to reach our goal."

A grey haired, muscular man with brown eyes and eyebrows came into Kuran's view and asked him, "What it your name?"

"Kuran Yuma," replied Kuran and the man continues, "Can you tell where you get into these caves?"

"Sorry! But by making the mistake to wander off I got lost here. If there is a way up, I would gladly take it. Why are you here?"

"We are what remains of an expedition to the town called Atlantis," told the man to Kuran. "I am Commander Rourke, leader of this trip."

Then he points to the man with the glasses, "This is Milo Thatch! The Linguist and Cartographer of the Expedition and the only man who could read the way description to the town."

Pointing to the girl he told Kuran, "This is Audrey Rocia Ramirez, our chief engineer! And the one over here is Geaton Moliére but we all call him Mole!"

"Any more I should know?" asked Kuran and Rourke replied, "A few but they can wait until we set up a camp or have an emergency!"

Kuran nods at that and after being sent to a car he set in and the expedition continued it's travel. During the drive Kuran looked at the man who drives it. The man was a slender, muscular and completely bald man with a black skirt. He wears a white shirt and as he noticed Kuran's interest, he began, "The name's Sweet, Joshua Strongbear Sweet."

"Kuran… Kuran Yuma," was the reply of the blonde, "And what role do you have on this tour?"

"I am the doctor! And later I need to have a check up on you since you are new in the crew!" told Sweet and Kuran nods to that.

In the meanwhile Aqua wondered as she reaches a house with Leon and Kairi, "Why are we here?"

"Because in this house lives a moogle that deals with information." Told Leon and knocks on the door but a voice called out, "Go away! I won't open the door!"

"Not even for a customer?" asked Leon and the voice replied, "I am not dumb! You are no customer! You are one of these Restoration Committee guys!"

"Open now or we'll have to break in!" told Leon but the voice called, "I wouldn't do that for your own health!"

"Then I'll open the door!" told Aqua and used her Keyblade on the locks. As the owner of the house noticed what is going on, he called, "Stop!"

However it was too late since Aqua used her Keyblade on the last of the 16 locks and suddenly a cannonball shot out of the closet door and crashed into the next wall. Everybody stared at the wall where the cannonball crashed into and looked back at the remains of the door with its 12 blocking bars.

Leon looked at the rabbit like moogle that stared out of the door and told, "Herito! For using an illegal cannon that shoots by itself you can gain a lot of trouble!"

"And now you want the information for free…" sighs Herito. "What do you want to know?"

"Do you know about somebody named Kuran Yuma?" asked Leon but raised an eyebrow as the moogle suddenly began to laugh loudly. "You are interested in Kuran? Then you are quite interesting! Why such interest in such a normal guy?"

"I'll ask the questions! What can you tell me about him?" told Leon and the Moogle just shrugged. "I only know that he is after a weird looking guy but this was it. I can only tell you more that I gave him a sort of prophecy but it wouldn't help you much…"

"And why not?"asked Aqua and the answer was, "I don't think that you can find him by telling that he should go to some worlds and get involved in their business?"

"You didn't seriously tell him that?" asked Aqua but Herito replied, "I did! I have an uncontrollable gift and I just happened to access it at his last visit…"

Then Aqua asked, "You don't think that you can tell anything about Xehanort?"

Herito shock his head, "No! Not what you don't know already…"

"Then we have to go now, since we know that Xehanort is after the seven princess and for his thirteen vessel," told Kairi, and Aqua agreed with her. They left the house but Leon told the moogle before leaving, "If I find out that you knew more then you let us know, you will pay deeply for this!"

Meanwhile, Lea was blinking at Even as he heard a request form the scientist. "You want that I do what?"

"You heard me already correct Lea: I want that you look for this boy we encountered! I am fascinated about his darkness and would love to study him!"

Lea chuckles, "Why do I always get stuck with the icky jobs? And I wonder that you would give me such a task, while knowing that I killed your nobody!"

"While I am still not pleased with the fact that you killed me, it brought me back in the end! So I say just do this one favor and I forgive you!" told Even and Lea shrugged. "I guess so long I don't try to kill you again, we would be fine! Just don't complain that I might be away for a while!"

With that Lea began to leave.

Back to Kuran, the expedition reached a cave where light comes from a rock formation on the ceiling. Milo was holding a book with weird symbols and drawings in it. He looked at it and the rock formation, calling, "This is it! It's gotta be!"

Rourke called, "All right, we'll make a camp here."

"Why is it glowing?" asked Audrey while Mole just replied, "Ah! It is a natural phosphorescence."

"That thing is going to keep me up all night. I know it!" told a man with black flat-topped hair, thickly mustached, gray gloves, and black coat.

Kuran shook his head at the man with the name Vincenzo Santorini and helps to set up the camp. Then Cookie, an elderly, both white beard and eyebrows, blue jeans, white shirt and a hat with the true name Jedidiah Allardyce Farnsworth called, "Come and get it!"

He came to the campfire where part of the Atlantis crew sat while Milo and Kuran sat outside on their own. Milo studying the book he always had while Kuran looks into the ceiling, thinking about the day.

Everybody looked in disgust at the so called "food" and even as Kuran got his portion he asked Cookie, "Where did you get this stuff?"

"Own recipe and training from my old job by the army! I can feed the same without any kind of supplies!" told Cookie and Kuran just replied, "Looking at this… I believe you!"

Back in the campfire Sweet told the others, "You know, we've been pretty thought on the kid. And the newbie here seems to have trouble of his own. What do you say we cut them some slack?"

"Yeah, you're right." Told Audrey and Sweet called to Milo and Kuran, "Hey, Milo, Kuran, why don't you come sit with us?"

"Really? Y-You don't mind?" asked Milo while Kuran waved off, signaling that he isn't interested.

"Nah. Park it here." Told Sweet while Audrey went to Kuran and dragged him over.

"Gee, this is great. I mean, you know, it's an honor to be included in your-" told Milo but stopped as he realized that he sat down on a whoopee cushion, positioned by Mole.

Everybody glares at the laughing man, calling, "Mole!"

"Forgive me. I could not resist!" told the small man and Kuran just sighs and asked, "Was he the only ground expert you could get for this tour?"

"Ask Mister Whitemore! He funds this expedition! And he was with us as we found the journal in Iceland." Told Sweet while Vinny shudders. "Don't remind me! These weird creatures almost got us way back"

"Weird creatures?" asked Kuran. Vinny nods and described them as good as possible. Kuran recognizes them as Heartless. "I hope they _don't_ come back! I faced these creatures before and they are not an easy piece to fight off without the right weapon."

"Yeah! We found that out in the hard way!" told Vinny. Before Kuran could question more, Audrey asked Milo, "Hey, Milo, don't you ever close that book?"

"Yeah. You must've read it a dozen times by now." Sweet added in.

Milo nods. "I know, but this-this doesn't make any sense. See, in this passage here, the shepherd seems to be leading up to something. He calls it 'the heart of Atlantis'. It could be the power source the legends refer to. But th—But then it just—It cuts off. You know, it's almost like a there's a missing page."

"Kid, relax. We don't get paid overtime," told Vinny and Kuran chuckles, "In this case I am working for free here."

"Yeah… that could be the case since you came here before you could sign a contract with the good old Whitemore."

Milo chuckles and rubs his back as Sweet was close to him and asked, "What, is something wrong with your neck?"

"Oh yeah, I must've hurt it when—" told Milo and as Sweet suddenly grabbed his head and twisted it left and right one time, asking, "Better?"

Milo rubs his neck and replied, "Yeah! Hey, where'd you learn how to do that?"

"An Arapaho medicine man." Told Sweet and Milo countered, "Get outta here."

"Born and raised with 'em. My father was an army medic," told Sweet while showing a photo with an army man, an Indian woman carrying a baby on the back. "He settled down in the Kansas Territory after he met my mother."

"No kidding?" asked Milo and Sweet answered, "Nope. I got a sheepskin from Howard U and a bearskin from old Iron Cloud," showing a necklace with a feather and other things. Then he continues, "Halfway through medical school I was drafted. One day I'm studyin' gross anatomy in the classroom… the next, I'm swein' up Rough Riders on San Juan Hill."

Suddenly Cooky pipes in and told, "Main course!"

After everybody denies the main course the old guy just told them, "Don't worry then. It'll keep and keep and keep."

"Is this a promise or a menace?" wondered Kuran while an old woman, elderly with gray hair that tied to a small ponytail and wears both olive overcoat and helmet on her head, named Parker told, "Thank God I lost my sense of taste years ago."

Then everybody put the "food" on the plate into the fire which goes out in a smoke that reminds Kuran on what he saw from the distance of an nuclear bomb explosion, thinking to himself that this stuff isn't so good like Cooky believes. He wondered if he should check if he had some reserves in his bags.

Later, everybody set up their tents and Kuran wondered, "Are you not setting up your tent?"

"uh, I did." Comments Milo and as Kuran began to fix it, Milo began, "I guess I'm still a little rusty at this. I haven't gone camping since – Well, since the last time my grandpa took me."

"I never got to meet your grandfather. What was he like?" asked Audrey while Milo began to tell, "Where do you start? He was like a father to me, really. My parents died when I was a little kid, and he took me in."

Kuran's head sank down by this and sighs. Suddenly Milo chuckles loudly and the question came, "What?"

"Well, I was thinkin'. One time when I—when I was eight, we were hiking along this stream… and I saw something shining in the water. It was a genuine arrowhead. Well you'd think I'd found a lost civilization the way Grandpa carried on about it." Told Milo and sighs, "It wasn't until I was older that I realized that the arrowhead was just some compressed shale mixed with some zinc pyrite that had fractured into an isosceletic trangulate."

Then Mole was suddenly calling, "That is so cute."

Then Kuran asked, "Audrey… how did you become the chief mechanic of a multimillion-dollar expedition?"

"I took this job when my dad retired. But the funny thing was he always wanted sons, right? One to run his machine shop, and the other to be middleweight boxing champion." Told Audrey while hitting her pillow, "But he got my sister and me instead."

"So, what-what happened to your sister?" asked Milo and the answer of the female was, "She's 24 and 0 with a shot at the title next month. Anyway, I'm saving up so my papi and I can open up another shop."

Then as Parker came in, "Forget your jammies, Mrs. Packard?" "I sleep in the nude."

Then Kuran and Milo get sleep mask tossed over. They wondered why and then Sweet explained, "You two want a pair of these. She sleepwalks."

Kuran took his one, glanced to Parker and gulps. Then Vinny began to tell, "Well, as far as me goes, I just like to blow things up."

Sweet took Vinny's sleep mask and told him, "Come on, Vinny tell the kid the truth."

Then he let go of the mask and it slapped back to Vinny's face. The black haired man began after a glance to Sweet, "My family owned a flower shop. We would sell roses, carnations, baby's breath, you name it. One day, I'm making about three dozen corsages for this prom – you know, the one they put on the wrist—and everybody, they come. 'Where is it? When is it? Does it match my dress?' It's a nightmare… Anyway, I guess there was this leak of gas next door or what… BOOM! No more Chinese laundry. Blew me right through the front window. It was like a sign from God. I found myself that boom." Told Vinny and lit up a match.

Then Milo looks at Kuran. "What is your story."

Kuran looks uncomfortable and sighs. "It's only fair since you told your stories as well… I came from a place where the sun is only a myth… light is only given by the stars, moon, or fire. No idea who my father was… and I lost my mother to a sickness. No one knows what it was… then a person I met before my mother died took me in and as I was ten he died as well… since then, I am on a travel… and looking for something, but, I don't know anymore what to think of my goals."

Milo nods and as they suddenly notice that Mole digs himself into the ground, he asked, "What's Mole's story?"

"Trust me on this one. You don't wanna know!" Told Sweet, turning to Audrey he told her, "Audrey, don't tell him. You shouldn't have told me, but you did." Turning back to Milo he adds on, "And now I'm telling you, you don't wanna know."

Then he blew the lights out and went to sleep. And nobody notices that creatures are coming into the camp, searching through the place. Milo then came out with turning a lamp on, causing the creatures to run away. He moved to a spot where nobody from the camp could see him, beginning to take his pants off while having his lamp in the mouth. Then the light of his lamp hit the glowing rock and yellow glowing flies are coming out, flying to the camp. One flies around Milo and he tried to hit it but as he does the toilet paper that was on the object he hit the fly bursts into flames. Gasping from the experience, he looked around and spotted a whole swarm of these flies coming towards the camp. He called, "Fire" and runs back while the flies set the tents under fire.

Rouke groans by the shoutings and after a look at a clock he mumbled, "I am going to kill this guy…"

He turns his head out and called, "Thatch, go back to bed." But then he realizes the trouble in the camp. Everybody was now wide awake and tries to end the fire but fails on that. Suddenly other creatures came up and Kuran called shocked, "Heartless!"

"Not them again!" told Cookie and took his gun out to shoot them. Kuran took his swords and fought them. He keeps on until he heard the order, "Get us into those caves! Move it, move it, move it!"

Everybody went into the vehicles and tried to get over the bridge. Kuran keeps fighting until he knows that he was pretty much the last one and runs as well. However the last vehicle was uncomfortabely the tank transporter with the fuel and just as Kuran was close to it, the fire flies caused it to explode, catapulting him of the bridge while the bridge itself got destroyed, taking the vehicles with it.

After everybody crash landed Rourke took a match out and lit, it asking, "Alright, who's not dead? Sound off."

Then groans and sounds are given from everybody who could still speak until the match burned to his fingers and he had to put it out. However Aundrey managed to turn on the lamps of one of the rigs. Rourke ordered Audrey for a damage report and she answered, "Not bad as it could have been. Totaled rigs two and seven, but the digger looks like it'll still run. Lucky for us we landed in something soft."

"Pumice are standing at the base of a dormant volcano." Explains Mole and Helga Sinclair, a slender woman with fair skin, red lips, short blonde hair, and blue eyes shoots a signal rocket. "It just keeps going."

"Maybe that's our ticket out of here." Told Vinny but as it exploded Helga just replied, "Maybe not"

"The magma has solidified in the bowels of the volcano effectively blocking the exit." Told Mole and Sweet asked, "Hold on. Back up. Are you sayin' this whole volcano can blow at any time?"

"No, no, no, no. That would take an explosive force of great magnitude." Told Mole and everybody looked at Vinny who tried to repair a bomb. As he notices the looks he wondered, "Maybe I should do this later, huh?"

"If we could blow the top off of that thing we'd have a straight shot to the surface. Mr. Thatch, what do you think? Mr. Thatch? Thatch?" called Rourke and everybody realized that Milo and Kuran was missing.

Kuran groans loudly as he stands up, holding his hurting arm, surprised that he is still alive. He began to limb forward and spots Milo who was leaning at a rock, with a clear wound on the shoulder and surrounded by humans with large masks on them. One of them had the mask lifted and held a blue crystal on the wound. Then the person pressed the hand on his wound a blue light appears and then as the hand was lifted, Milo's wound was gone. Kuran blinked in surprise and suddenly he heard a sound. The others heard the sound as well and began to run away.

Milo rushed after them, when Kuran saw the reasons of the sound: It was the forward moving digger moving forward. Kuran decided to move after Milo and rushed over. With the digger he reached the exit and gasped what he saw: A town on a platform from which water floats down. Kuran watched from the place he was while the rest of the crew walks over to Milo, gazing at the sight.

Suddenly the masked people from earlier appeared, holding weapons at the group. Kuran wanted to jump in but it seems that Milo began to talk with them. The tension began to lift and everybody began to have normal conversation… well… except for Mole. He got a punch in the face as he whispered something to a women with long white hair, fairly tanned skin and blue eyes, wearing blue tattoo under left eye, small gold earrings, a blue outfit and walks barefoot.

Kuran didn't want to know what he said to her but it wasn't good. Kuran suddenly summoned his blades and jumped into the view of everybody. Before they could react he threw one of the swords and hit a heartless in the chest. They all saw the enemy and suddenly they were surrounded by them. They began to slash each of them but Milo… he made with the weapon a really poor figure. Kuran had to jump and catch his hand as the scientist shot and flew over the cliff because of the recoil.

Rourke told one of them, "It's time to go for you!"

Then he shot it. Suddenly all disappeared without reason. Kuran pulled Milo up and looks around. "Odd… normally they fight to the end."

"Then let's be glad they didn't," told Rouke. "And now come! We have a town to explore!"

Kuran learned that the guys with the mask were Atlanteans, and that they are able to speak almost every language because their own were a sort of a root dialect. Kuran was just sitting in one of the remaining vehicles while Milo was trying to figure out with which languages the Atlanteans. Rourke and Helga, however, had a conversation that the plans didn't change even with the surprising existence of inhabitants. And Kuran noticed that all of them are tanned with bear white hair.

Later they were brought to a sort of palace or what remains of it. They were lead inside and spot an old man with a tattooed face, long white hair and beard with a blue robe. The girl from earlier kneeled in front of the man and talked to him. Then Rourke went in to say something, ignoring Milo who tried to stop the leader. "Your Majesty, on behalf of my crew may I say it is an honor to be welcomed to your city."

"Your presume much to think you are welcome here. Especially by bringing the bladed key to the town, opening the door of darkness in our town." Told the old man and Kuran looked surprised that this old Atlantean recognized the weapon on the back as a Keyblade.

However Rourke countered, "Sir, we have come a long way looking for-" but was interrupted. "I know what you seek, and you will not find it here. Your journey has been in vain."

"But we are peaceful explorers, men of science." Told Rourke and the only reply was, "And yet you bring weapons… one of them carried by a man filled with darkness in his heart."

"They are only for self defense." "Some obstacles cannot be removes by force. Return to your people. You must leave Atlantis at once and never come back!"

Then he points to Kuran. "Especially you! Your darkness and your key are not only unwelcomed but also hated!"

Rourke seems to show interest at something and began, "Your Majesty, be reasonable." However Milo interrupted him and convinced the expedition leader to listen to the king. In defeat he told the king, "May I respectfully request that we stay one night, sir? That would give us time to rest, resupply, and be ready to travel by morning."

"Very well. One night. That is all." Told the King. Then the expedition began to leave, the daughter of the king beginning to argue with him.

Outside Sweet asked how it went and Rourke went straight at Kuran. "Can you explain me what this speech with Darkness and Key was about?"

"Not much…" told Kuran. "He saw that my heart is clouded by darkness, and that I carry a key on my back. However this key isn't mine so I cannot use it in the way like a true bearer of this key should be able to."

"Is this your reason of your travel? To lift this cloud of darkness?" asked Milo and Kuran nodded before asking Milo, "Can you tell what is going on between the King and the daughter? I may not understand their language but the tone didn't sound like they agree on something"

"You are right Kuran. They are not exactly seeing eye to eye. She seems to like us okay but the king – I don't know – I think he's hiding somethin'." Told Milo and Rourke wondered, "Well, if he's hiding something, I want to know what it is."

"Somebody needs to talk with her." Told Helga and Mole said, "I will go!"

"Somebody with good people skills," told Vinny while Sweet adds after Mole's, "I will do it!" "Someone who won't scare her away." "I volunteer!"

"Someone who can speak the language," told Peckart but before Mole could interrupt again, Kuran was already ready with a rock and hits the france on the head. Mole sang something odd before falling on his back, the left leg outstretched into the air. Rourke however pats Milo, who just wrote into a book. "Good man, Thatch. Thanks for volunteering."

Milo dropped the pencil at this statement and looked at the commander. Kuran shrugs. "Logical choice. You can speak their speech after all."

Then he left like the others. And Milo was staring at them before trying to find the princess. He found her leaving the king and prepared himself mentally to talk with her in a harsh way but…

As he talked to her, she dominated and took him to a secured place to ask him out. Then it got too much for Milo and he suggested that they should exchange the question one by one. And his first question was how Atlantis ended up in this cave. The girl however just answered, "It is said that the gods became jealous of Atlantis. They sent a great cataclysm and banished us here. All I can remember is the sky going dark and people shouting and running. Then a bright light, like a star, floating above the city. My father said it called my mother to it. I never saw her again."

"I'm sorry. If it – If it's any consolation, I-I know how you feel because I lost – " began Milo as he suddenly realized, "Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Whoa! Back up! Wh-Wh-What are you telling me? That you remember because you were there? No, that's-that's impossible, because I mean, that would make you, you know… 85- 8,800 years old." "Yes?" "Oh, well hey uh- Lookin' good. Just, uh- You got another question for me?"

"Yes. How is it you found your way to this place?" asked the princess and Milo answered, "Well, I'll tell you, it wasn't easy. If it weren't for this book, we never would have made it."

He hands her the journal and continues, "Okay, second question. Legend has it that your people possessed a power source of some kind that enabled them-"

But the princess interrupts him by pushing the journal on his nose, asking, "You can read it?"

"Yeah! I am linguist, that's what I do. That's my job." Told Milo and she pushed further. "This! Right here! You can read this?"

"Yes, yes! I can read Atlantean, just like you," told Milo but as he saw the reaction of her and asked, "You can't, can you?"

"None one can. Such knowledge has been lost to us since the time of the mehbehlmoak." Was her explanation and Milo agrees. "Oh, the great flood."

Then she demands that he should read something out of the book. Milo obeys and read out loud in Atlantean while she translated it. Then he asked her about the opinion of his speech and she just put bluntly into the face. "Borish, provincial, and you speak it though your nose."

Mile laughs weakly and admits, "Yeah. Gotta work on that."

Then she showed him something that resembles on a large stone fish. She complains that she cannot get it running. Milo reads the introduction and found why she didn't manage to get it running, but congratulates about how far she got. Then she started it with her crystal but due their lack of acknowledge how it works… well… they crashed it into the next wall and Milo just asked, "So, who's hungry?"

Unknown to everybody somebody speaks with a figure in the dark. It was a large antromorphic cat who wears what seems to be armor colored in shades of blue and purple overtop a red, short-sleeved shirt with a vertical pink stripe descending from the neck. He wears navy blue and white sneakers with light blue fronts and two periwinkle straps keeping each one secure. His pants are also navy blue, with light blue lining, purple lower legs, and two enormous pouches on either front side. These pouches are attached to his pants by four pins, both sporting a silver, horizontal zipper. The most distinguishing feature of these pants is the comically large zipper going down the front and reaching around to the back side of the pants.

He wears two navy blue pauldrons, each sporting two cyan bumps and a periwinkle area near on the lower section on each shoulder. Two gold buttons at the top of Pete's pants connect to two blue suspenders that intersect over his chest before connecting to two similar, albeit smaller buttons on his shoulder pauldrons. He also wears a pair of fingerless gauntlets. The wrists of these gauntlets are light blue with a pale yellow semi-circle on top, while the gloves are periwinkle with a bump on each knuckle. There is a dark blue-green design on the back of each glove, descending from each knuckle to the end of the glove.

The villain known as Pete said, "So we have a deal now! You bring us the Heart of Atlantis and then we give you everything you wish for! For the time being we manifest your control over the heartless to make your job easier! Just don't mess it up and if a brown haired kid with a large key appears, take care of him! And about this boy you mentioned: Do the same!"

With that Pete left in a dark portal and the figure chuckles darkly while heartless appears around the person.

Later Milo and the Princess were climbing on one of the old buildings and Milo told them, "By the way, we never properly introduced. My name's Milo."

"My name is Kidagakash." "Ki-Ki-Kidamaschnaga. Uh, hey, you got a nickname?" asked Milo and she answered with a chuckle, "Kida"

"Okay! Kida. I can remember that." Told Milo and as he saw the view over the town, he was speechless at first. Then he told Kida, "You know, my grandpa used to tell me stories about this place as far back I can remember. I just wish he could be standing here with me."

Then they watched the scenery. Kuran was watching how a set of Atlanteans were catching fish. Then one of them threw a creature over. Kuran caught it but had trouble to hold it but one bit the neck of it. In an instant it was no longer moving. He took it over the shoulder and continues to explore the town. He later spots Milo and Kira talking to each other. Then he could hear that they were talking about the crew and Milo explains something about kindly and sweet. Later they were eating something by a family and as Kida asked if Mole were a pet Kuran told, "One thing for sure… I can understand now why my mother never wanted that I get a pet".

Everybody chuckles by that but unknown to that somebody was preparing weapons among other members of the expedition. Kuran got the feeling that something isn't right and went to investigate. However… his senses failed him so far that somebody knocked him out of commission. As he later woke up, he spots everybody with weapons while holding Milo and Kida as prisoner.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Rourke with a smirk and Kuran groans, "What is going on?"

"We are… let's say we are adventure capitalist," told Rourke and the only reply was, "Mercenary… and your greed caused a darkness that drew the attention of the heartless…"

"Oh! You think you are so smart!" told Rourke and punched Kuran. "Too bad I have to do something to you to get my reward. I am sure you would have been a nice addition to our team… now let us get to the heart of Atlantis!"

With that they went to the palace and Vinny blows it open, telling, "Knock knock."

"Room Service!" told Cookie. Then they trashed around the place to find the heart of Atlantis while Rourke tried to find out more from Milo about it, however he only told, "Here is only written 'The heart of Atlantis lies in the eyes of her king."

"Well, then, maybe Old King Cole here can help us fill in the blanks," told Rourke and threatens to shoot the man down after punching the stomach. Rourke was sitting on the throne and counts up to ten but before he could say ten, he saw the stones in the water bank in front of the throne forms the old Atlantean symbol for a just without the point in the middle. Rourke muttered, "'The heart of Atlantis lies in the eyes of her King.' This is it! We're in!"

Milo tries to stop Rourke but fails on that. Also Kuran was not really having success to convince any of them to stop that.

Rourke steps on a platform under water and it moved down. They took Milo, Kira, and Helga into the deeps but Kuran could feel something with a bright light was down there. Nobody knows what happened but as they came back, Kira was a sort of Crystal and for everybody was clear: She was right now the heart of Atlantis.

Audrey began with some others to put the crystal Kira into a metal container and put it on a transporter, also setting Kuran on it. Milo began to call to the crew, "So, I guess this is how it ends, huh? Fine. You win. You're wiping out an entire civilization, but, hey, you'll be rich. Congratulations, Audrey. Guess you and your dad will be able to open up that second garage after all. And Vinny, y-you can start a whole chain of flower shops. I'm sure your family's gonna be very proud. But that's what it's all about, right? Money."

"Get off your soapbox, Thatch." Told Rourke. "You've read Darwin. It's called natural selection. "We're just helping it along."

Then Helga informed Rourke that they were ready and Rourke punched Milo into the face. "Look at it this way, son. You were the man who discovered Atlantis and now you're part of the exhibit."

He returns to the others and ordered, "Let's move, people."

However Audrey, Sweet, Cookie, Mole, Packert, and Vinny went over to Milo and help him up. Rourke couldn't believe it and began to say, "Oh, you can't be serious."

"This is wrong, and you know it." "We're this close to our biggest pay day ever and you pick now, of all times, to grow a consicience?" "We've done a lot of things we're not proud of, robbing graves, eh, plundering a-tombs, double parking, but nobody got hurt. Well, maybe somebody got hurt, but nobody we knew."

"Er, if that's the way you want it, fine," told Rourke. "More for me. P.T. Barnum was right."

Then he snapped his fingers and suddenly heartless appears around them. They all gasped and looked at them. "Now what?"

Suddenly black swords rain down and hit the heartless, destroying them. They looking confused and saw Kuran falling from the sky with his ties still on his body. They stared at him. "What? I may have a plan on how to make my weapons but no clue how to free myself from these things!"

They nod and freed Kuran, however Rourke used the opportunity to destroy the only bridge. Suddenly they heard Sweet calling, "Milo! You better get up here!"

They rushed to the throne room where the colored doctor told Milo, "Internal bleeding. There's nothing more I can do."

Kuran sighs loudly, "If I could just use magic… then Curaga could have helped…"

Suddenly Milo got something and said, "Cure? That's it! These- These crystals, they have some sort of healing energy. – I – I've seen it work."

But to the surprise of everybody, the king told, "No. Where is my daughter?"

"Well… she-she-she-um." Began Milo however the king continued, "She has been chosen like her mother before her."

"What?" asked Milo and Kuran in union. Then the answer came, "In times of danger, the crystal would choose a host, one of royal blood… to protect itself and its people. It will accept no other."

"Moment! It choose? It is alive?" asked Kuran and the King told them, "In a way. The crystal thrives… on the collective emotions of all who came before us. In return, it provides power… longevity, protection. As it grew, it developed a consciousness of its own. In my arrogance, I sought to use it as a weapon of war but its power proved too great to control. It overwhelmed us and led to our destruction."

"So hiding it to prevent a repeat of such an event." Said Kuran and as the king said, "And to prevent Kida from suffering the same fate as my beloved wife."

"What do you mean? Wh-Wh-What's gonna happen to Kida?" asked Milo and the king replies, "If she remains bonded to the crystal she could be lost to it forever. The love of my daughter is all I have left. My burden would have become hers when the time was right… but now it falls to you."

Then he took his crystal and pressed it into Milo's hand, telling, "Return the crystal. Save Atlantis. Save my daughter." With that the King of Atlantis passed away and everybody bowed down to paid their final respect to the passed on King.

"What will you do now Milo?" asked Kuran. Then Milo asked, "Excuse me?"

Sweet replied, "I followed you in, and I'll follow you out."

"Your decision," added Kuran in and Milo just protested, "Oh, my decision? Well, I-I think we've seen how effective my decisions have been. Let's recap. I lead a band of plundering vandals to the greastest archaeological find in recorded history this enabling the kidnap and/or murder of the royal family not to mention personally delivering the most powerful force known to man into the hands of a mercenary nutcase who's probably selling it to the Kaiser! Have I left anything out?"

"You set the camp on fire," Kuran added in and Sweet finished, "And dropped us down that big hole."

"Thank you. Thank you very much!" told Milo and Sweet told Milo, "Of course, it's been my experience when you hit bottom… the only place left to go is up."

"Who said that?" asked Kuran and Sweet said, "A fellow by the name of Thaddeus Thatch."

After hearing this, Milo looked at the crystal and began to leave the place. Kuran wondered what he is going to do and gets following answer: "I'm going after Rourke."

"Milo, that's crazy!" told Audrey who was now in place as well but Kuran said, "He never mentioned it is smart! But I am with him since it is the right choice!"

Milo and Kuran walked down some stairs and the rest of the crew decided to follow. "To better make sure they don't hurt themselves."

However Kuran grew unsure about Milo's sanity as he climbed up a statue resembling a fish and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Just follow my lead." Told Milo and used the crystal to activate the Atlantean vehicle. Kuran whistled by that and Vinny asked, "Hey, Milo, you got something sporty? Like a tuna?"

One of the Atlanteans asked, "How is this done?"

"All you gotta do is use the crystals. Kida showed me." Told Milo and runs to a smaller one, showing how it works with the warning they have to be gentle with the control pad since it is sensitive.

Then everybody got on every vehicle they could find. And Cookie commands this, "Saddle up, partners! Bring jerky and ammo!"

Kuran jumps on behind him. "I have swords, knives and an axe at my disposal."

"Boy! You are now in the front of the front line!"

Milo was in his vehicle in front of everybody and called, "All right. This is it. We're gonna rescue the princess. We're gonna save Atlantis, or we'll die trying."

"We are now dead," told Parker and Kuran shook his head. "Don't need to be that kind of passemistic!"

As he said that he realized something: He has been pessimistic as well… and perhaps more but he was still unsure. However now he had a fight in front of him and in order to save his new friends, he will do it with everything he has! Unknown to him that the sword he just summoned had a white glow on the tip.

"Now let's do it!" told Milo and they shoot off to the caves. On their way he explained his plan, "We're gonna come in low and fast and take 'em by surprise."

"I've got new for you, Milo. Rourke is never surprised, and he's got a lot of guns," told Audrey and Kuran just asked, "Then what do you offer?

"Yeah. Don't get shot!" told Vinny. They closed in and saw a red ballong rising into the air and that suddenly flying heartless are coming in.

"Whoa! Heartless?" asked Milo while Kuran jumps down and storms at the forces on the ground that are shooting into the air. Milo protested about this and got only the answer "What I said was he's never surprised!"

Vinny's vehicle was hit slight causing the explosive expert to touch a different field and it suddenly shoot a blue energy beam at the ground, destroying one of the larger Heartless. He comments "Okay. Now things are getting' good."

"Vinny, heads up!" told Milo. "We can't let 'em reach the top of that shaft!"

The fights continue and both sides are losing members but they keep on fighting. Audrey and Sweet are now by the container that hands on the balloon and Audrey tried to cut the chain with a saw. Rourke however notices them. "Looks like somebody's working overtime!"

Then he threw bombs down, forcing Sweet and Audrey to retreat. Milo saw it and mumbled to himself, "All right, Milo, this is it. Any last words? Yeah, I really wish I had a better idea than this!"

Then he flew his vehicle at the balloon, hitting one of the four smaller ones attached on it, causing the altitude of the balloon to lessen for the boarded weight. Helga threw at this as much down as possible but told that there wasn't enough to take down, except for jumping. Rourke just took her to her surprise and threw her down with the words, "Nothing personal!"

Milo managed to cut one of the lines loose and swings around the balloon, hitting Rourke and threw them both off the platforms of the balloon down to a different platform just above the container with Kida and a set of rotating propellers. Rourke growled, "Well, I have to hand it to you. You're a bigger pain in the neck than I would have ever thought possible. "

He hits on Milo a few times, continuing, "I consider myself an even-tempered man. It takes a lot to get under my skin.."

He hit Milo again, throwing him off while the linguist managed to get hold of the handrail, somehow causing it to rip off partly and blockade the propellers. Rourke looked down at Milo and finished, "but congratulations, you just won the solid-gold kewpie doll."

Milo managed to get to the chains holding the container while Rourke took a fire fight axe and climbs down, trying to hit Milo but only hits nothing or one time he hit a window on the container and Milo took one of the splinters that were created that way. He got grapped at Rourke and Milo cuts him with the splinter. Rourke lets go in pain and looks at Milo before realizing the splinter must have been infused with parts of the crystal since his arm began to turn into crystal with red lines followed by the rest of the body.

Milo had climbed up a bit but as he saw that Rourke was now a crystal statue he let out a sigh. But suddenly he saw a crystal hand moving and was shocked to see Rourke moving like that. He fell off and caught the chains again, causing them to swing in a way that Rouke got between the two propellers that are now rotating again. The crystalized man was hit by the two things, causing him to explode for unknown reasons and the shards are cutting through the chains. As a result the container fell down. Milo was falling down as well and after landing he groans in pain but was still in one piece.

Kuran rushed up and asked, "Milo! Are you alright?"

"I am… in a way…" told Milo but suddenly he looked in confusion. Kuran followed the gaze and saw that the crystal pieces gathered together. Now they were red and a black symbol was on the chest of the man. Milo wondered, "What is going on?"

"What I have feared at the moment when the Heartless appeared… his heart was too deep in the darkness and now it is so far that he lost his heart, becoming one of them." Told Kuran while holding his two swords ready. "Take this thing and go! I'll try to stop him or at least buy you time!"

Milo nods and called for the others while Kuran rushed in to engage the crystallized and heartless Rourke.

And the first thing Rourke did was to shoot a laser at Kuran. He blocked it with his swords crossed, not risking to let Milo or the container being hit.

However Rourke used this to get close to Kuran and punched him into the stomach followed by an uppercut. Kuran flew over the air and hits hard on the ground. But he forced himself on his feet and rushed at the crystal heartless. Dodging another energy blast, Kuran got in and swung his swords, only to bounce off harmlessly from the crystal. Wasting no time in wonder Kuran summoned this time his axe and swung it around, but Rourke was always faster than him and punches him. Then he got the blonde with a short rage energy eruption. Crashing into the wall, Kuran cried and got on his knees but forces himself back up again. "I… won't give up… I won't lose again… not to you! Not to somebody who just wants to destroy a town for their own gains!"

Crying loudly he charged again and ignores any pain in his body while he swung his axe again, but more than a small crack in the shoulder was not archived by this attack. Rourke however grabs Kuran at the neck and began to squeeze. Coughing, Kuran tried to use his powers but they failed him this time. Suddenly something exploded on the back of the Heartless and let go of the darkness user. Holding his own throat in pain, Kuran looked behind Rourke and saw Helga aiming a signal pistol at Rourke, groaning loudly, "Nothing personal."

However Rourke seems to take it personally and shoots an energy beam at Helga, which exploded at impact. The earth began to shake and Mole called, "The volcano, she awakes!"

"Kuran! We have to go!" told Milo but Kuran called, "Just go! So long he is around, nobody is safe! Even if this Volcano explodes!"

"Just don't die on us!" told Sweet as the others took their vehicles and flew with the container back to Atlantis. Kuran pushed on his feet once more and pants, "Well… I am pretty sure in one piece… you won't be killed by even this volcano! But I am sure if I get you to the core… the blast will take you out. It may cost my life but in this case… I doubt Hades will have me as a customer!"

With that Kuran charges again and tried to summon his axe. However, something black and long appears in his hand instead. Kuran couldn't see what it is since it doesn't take the full manifested form but he saw a white light at the tip of the weapon and felt that it belonged to him. Taking it with both hands he cried and as Rourke released his energy attack, Kuran cut through it and smashed with all his might the body of the crystal heartless and reveals a heart surrounded by a dark crystal. Before the shards gathered around it again, Kuran slams his weapon into it and nailed it on the ground.

He runs away just in time as the ground exploded with magma and fire, destroying the crystal, finishing the Heartless Rourke for good. However this fight was too much for Kuran, causing that he couldn't call a Dark Portal to save himself.

However he suddenly felt somebody grabbing him and as he turned he saw Vinny as he was on the Vehicle. Once Kuran was on, Vinny flew as fast as possible while telling, "Couldn't let you getting roasted in this place!"

They managed out of the cave just in time. Kuran saw the magma was shooting out of the caves. They land on a place and they desperately try to open the container. Kuran rushed over and saw that a spear that they just used broke in the try to break the container open. Kuran summoned his sword and used it to get it open. Milo began to help him and they increased their efforts as they heard from Mole, "The fissure, it is about to eject its pyrolastic fury!"

Sweet added in, "Mole says the walls gonna blow!"

Just in this moment the container broke and the crystal Kida floats. The carvings of the entire city began to glow in a gentle blue as it died down, several gigantic plates with faces carved on them broke through the ground. They raised up with Kida and began to swirl around her so fast that only a blur could be seen. Then several beams erupts from the crystal, hitting something. As they looked around, satues raised from the ground. Each of them was with ease as large as the highest building of the town. They walked to the edge of the platform of the town and clapped time into their hands. A blue shield erupts from them and began to cover the entire place. The shield closed in just in time as the entire magma of the volcano floods the cave where Atlantis was in. But from the energy of the crystal the magma cooled down quickly and broke off so that as the shield was disappearing nothing would hit the town. Some of the cooled down lava broke parts of the platform off, causing to lower the water level of the entire city. Once this was over, Kida was floating down slowly, back to her old self.

Milo went over and gently took her. She opens her eyes and wondered, "Milo?"

Then she hugs him while he returns the hug. They hold close to each other and as Milo spots something he ends it and showed it Kira. Everybody was now looking at the ruins of the towns that have been so long under the water level. Kuran shook his head at the sheer sight. "This… this is incredible…"

Later on the Atlanteans were busy to bring objects made of gold into a vehicle that resembles a sword fish. Kira was hanging a crystal around everyones neck and told, "Atlantis will honor your names forever. I only wish there was more we could do for you."

"Eh, you know, thanks anyway, but, uh, I think we're good." Told Vinny while looking at the pile of gold.

Kuran just said, "I came here with no clue what I should do after my last travel was a disaster… but now I got a hint what this journey will bring. But I know that I have to go to many other places before I know for sure."

"Then take this! I know you won't leave the same way like the others… since you are a chosen one of the Keyblade." Told Kida while handing a small box with Atlantean symbols.

"We found it in one of the ruins, where we also found legends about a key. I guess you just didn't find your true key and we thought this might help you… the text of the box says that only a Bearer of the key that walks on the road of darkness to reach the light will be able to open it." Explains Milo. "But in the way it is written it could also have to other meanings. The only two parts we are sure of is that somehow light and darkness are involved in a rather unusual way."

"Then it seems you lied to us about the way you got into the cave." Guessed Sweet and Kuran laughed, "Yeah sorry! But thanks! Once I know where my path is, I will come again!"

"Take care of yourself!" told Milo.

Kuran nods and said goodbye while calling a dark corridor after putting the box into his new bag. Then he walks into the dark portal, directing to another world he never visited before…

Donald and Goofy were walking up and down in front of Yen Sid's tower and Goofy asked, "Donald! How long are we going to do that?"

"As long until we get new orders from the Majesty or Sora comes back!" told Donald. Goofy nods to that and they keep on walking around. Then suddenly a portal opens above them and something crashed on them.

They groan in pain and heard a pained voice as well. They looked up and saw somebody lying on them.

The person on them looked as well and asked, "Donald? Goofy?"

The two anthromorphic animals beamed, "Sora! You are back!"


	7. Chapter 7

Sora stands in front of Yen Sid and got an update on everything. Then Sora wondered, "So… one of the missing Keybearers is back but now we have another one to find? One with darkness and a Keybalde that is tied on the back?"

"Not exactly Sora! He can wield it but I doubt that he is a true Keybearer yet. I think he is like Lea before his first successful calling for his Keyblade. Guidance is what he needs and I fear he might be a target of Xenahort to have his thirteen darkness." Told Yen Sid while stroking his beard. "Also you have to find Aqua, who is searching for him to retrieve another of the lost lights."

"Looking for two people at once? Reminds me of the adventure against the first Organiztion XIII where we have been looking for the King and Riku as well!" told Goofy and Donald sarcasticly adds in, "Yeah! Just like this one with the difference that we have to deal with a more troublesome version of them."

"Then I guess we just look around and whoever we run into first, we either bring him here or we bring her to wherever the lost light is," guessed Sora and Yen Sid nods. "Travel first to Radiant Garden and meet Riku there. If he isn't there anymore then proceed with your mission."

"And why does he have to meet Riku first?" asked Goofy while scratching the head. Sora shrugs. "He must have a reason! Now let's go."

"And how do you think are we moving? Master Aqua took with Lea and Kairi the last Gummi Ship!" told Donald and Sora looks embrassed. "Oh… uhm… good question."

"I'll provide your means of transportation to Radiant Garden but after that you need to find your own way," told Yen Sid. Sora smiles at the old master and bows. "Thank you Yen Sid!"

However as he raised his head again he blinked in confusion since he stands in front of a door that he recognized as the door of Merlin's house in Radiant Garden.

"He could have warned us that he would transport us instantly here," told Goofy and Sora nods. "I agree with you."

Then Sora knocked on the door and as no reply was heard he tried to open the door and found it wasn't closed. Stepping in, he looked around and saw his old friend Merlin, an old man with long white beard with blue clothes sitting on a couch with a book on his lap and seemly asleep.

Sora walked over to the sleeping magican and asked, "Uhm… Merlin? Are you sleeping?"

Then he waves his hand in front of the wizard but a familiar voice told them, "Don't try it kid! Once this old geezer is asleep not even a cannon shot wakes him up!"

Sora turned around and exclaimed, "Cid! It's great to see you!"

"Great to see you too kid! You always show up if something is going on." Told Cid and Donald asked, "What is going on?"

"Somebody managed to break into a hidden room long before your friend Tron could even detect the intruder and this Keyblade Master made quite an exit after hearing that the intruder is going to mess around in some worlds. At least his name is known so far but I know didn't bother to ask!" explained Cid and Sora asked, "Ok… where are the others? Especially Riku. I was told to meet him."

"No plan kid! But he didn't leave yet so he might be somewhere in town," told Cid and Sora nods. "Thanks Cid! Tell Merlin I said hi!"

After Sora left Cid grunted, "As I would tell this old geezer 'Hi'"

"Where do you think Riku would be?" asked Donald and Sora shrugs. "No clue but I am sure we will find him!"

"You don't have to look longer Sora! You just found me," told the well known voice of Riku.

"Riku! Great to see you again!" told Sora and Riku nods. "Same here! Good to see you since we can deal with our little tour first before going off to find Kuran."

"Kuran?" wondered Sora. "Who is that?"

"Kuran Yuma is somebody we have to find. But first we go to visit Fugeo," told Riku.

Sora smiles. "Did you found his homeworld?"

"I did!" told Riku. "And that it is quite a travel so we have to go now."

"I get it." Told Sora. "Then let us go now!"

"I have a Gummi Ship here so traveling is not so troublesome," told Riku and leads them to the ship and soon they took off.

In the meanwhile, Aqua and Kairi were close to the first world they could find and prepared to land on it.

Kairi looked at the Keyblade Master. "Do you think we find this Kuran here?"

"No. I don't think so," told Aqua, "but we have to start looking for him somewhere if we want to find him. And who knows? Perhaps he or another possible candidate of the thirteen darkness could be here."

Kairi agreed on that and they proceed to land on this world.


	8. Chapter 8

As Kuran left the Dark Portal, he found himself in a desert but saw a street not far away. He moves over there and followed the road. He didn't pay attention to his surroundings but thought it was very hot out here. Then he came to a road crossing and he looked left and right, noticing he was next to a tank truck. He looked at the reflection on the tank and his eyes widened. He bites his lips as he turned around and got into distance. Once he was sure that he was alone he shouts out: "I AM A CAR?"

He indeed looked like a car now. To be exact, a black Pontiac Firebird Tans Am with a green middle line on the bonnet and the roof was like his hair color and his front window were… his eyes?

Kuran was completely perplexed by his change since it never happened to him before. Also, he was confused why he didn't notice it as he arrived in the place first but after calming down he decided to clear that later… for now he should find a town with a motel because he isn't in the mood to open a dark corridor that soon again. He went back on the street and followed it. Once he way he saw a sign that said "Route 88," and Kuran remembered that in one world he visited it meant something but he couldn't recall what it was for now.

Soon he reached a town and a lot of other cars are standing around. As he came closer they drove around him and told him a lot of different things, one of them hit his backside with something. Without further interest he just said to the blue Porsche in front of him, "I am not here to fool around! I'm just passing through and could use a place to sleep for the night. Can you recommend something?"

The Porsche laughed weakly. "Sure… I own the motel in the town so you can stay here."

Kuran nods. "Thanks! Lead the way"

The Porsche nods and leads him to a hotel where the rooms are traffic cones. Without a command he went into one of them and started to exercise in the small room, trying to figure out how to use objects and other activities which would rather require legs or arms. He didn't notice how late it got due to his exercise and as he finally realized it, he began to close his eyes.

However he snapped them open as he heard something. He went out to see what is going on and as he was in the street, he was almost hit by a slender red race car with stickers all over with blue eyes. He only dodged the hit by driving back but stared as he saw that a barbwire was somehow on the car and pulled the statue of an old-timer which was cracking open the street. The red car turned and the statue flew due to the_ sloth _in Kuran's direction. Only a jump backwards saved him from being hit. Deciding not to watch any longer he followed the car. He was next to the statue as he saw something that could be used as ramp and remembering that not far ahead were two masts with cables, he pushed the statue at the ramp and it flew at the cables, effectively slowing the red car down. Kuran took the ramp jump as well, wanting to cut the car loose from statue as the car itself was catapulted at the cables, sending the statue back and also hits Kuran who crashed into something, but he couldn't recognize into what since he was knocked out by the event.

In the next morning he opens his eyes and groans, "Where am I?"

Then he saw a rusty car in front of him behind…a wire fence? Then he noticed that one of his tires has a parking boot. Then he notices the red car next to him with the same parking boot. He seems to wake up as well and the rusty car called, "Mornin', sleepin' beauty!" startling the red car. "Boy, I was wonderin' when you was gonna wake up."

In panic, the red car told, "Take whatever you want! Just don't hurt me!"

Then he moved and noticed the parking boot, wondering why he has one. Kuran just said, "I wonder the same… well… to be exact I can guess why you got one."

"Really? And why?" asked the red car and Kuran wondered, "You don't remember your weird stunt from yesterday? You ripped the street open!"

"I would never do that!" protested the car. "And I have no time to tell that to anybody! I have a race to win!"

"The race has to wait," told Kuran calmly and asked the rusty car, "Why I am here?"

"For crashing yourself into the house of Doc Houston! Boy he was angry for the damage you caused!" told the rusty car. Kuran noticed it was more precisely a slender tow truck, bulky, buck-toothed and dual rear wheels. And this rust doesn't look like the one Kuran is used to. Probably the difference of weather.

"I like you two already!" told the truck. "My name's Mater!"

Since Kuran guessed he would spend some time here for the damage he caused, his answer was, "Kuran… Kuran Yuma is my name."

The red car however asked stupidly, "You don't know my name?"

"Doesn't seem so and I also don't recall to know you," told Kuran, "And since we might spend some time here it would be nice to know who I am here with… especially since you are the reason for me being here."

"Hey! I didn't crash you into the house!" protested the red car, "Nope… just only wanted to free you from that statue before you hit me," told Kuran. "And your name is?"

"I don't have time for that! I need to get to California as fast as possible. Where am I?" was now his question and Mater answered, "You're in Radiator Springs! The cutest little town in Carburettor County."

Kuran had some suspicion that the "Cutest little town" title was not… up to date.

"Mater!" called a new voice and a police car came in asking, "What did I tell you about talkin' to the accused?"

And Mater answered, "To not to." And the police car continued, "Well, Quit your yappin' and tow these delinquents to traffic court."

Kuran blinked. "Traffic court? I thought I am accused to have destroyed a doctor's house."

"Oh that is only part of the story! You also somehow caused, after the road hazard, a deep crater to appear in the middle of the road! Or what is left of it."

Now Kuran didn't know what to say or even THINK about it. Mater took them to the court, which took some time since he only could take one of them at the time. But for both the red car and Kuran, it was not a pleasing experience.

The sheriff opened the court, giving the red car and Kuran a lawer… which turns out to be Mater since he was the only one who wanted to do that. Then a blue car drove in shouting, "Alright! I wanna know who's responsible for wreckin' my town and my house, Sheriff. I want their hoods on a platter! I'm gonna put them in jail till they rot! No, check that. I'm gonna put them in jail till the jail rots on top of them, and then I'm gonna move him to a new jail and let that jail rot. I'm…"

During the pause that happens now Kuran asked, "Your honor… do you expect us to live long enough to survive two rotting jails or are the jails so short-living here?"

"Throw them out of here, Sheriff. I want them out of my courtroom, I want them out of our town! Case dismissed," told the car and Kuran wondered: Was this his sarcastic comment or the sheer sight of him and the red car.

However somebody came in now: It was the Porsche which rented him the motel room…

"Sorry I'm late, Your Honour!" was her reply and the red car told as he saw her, "Holy Porsche! She's gotta be from my attorney's office!"

"Sorry to burst your bubble… but she lives here!" told Kuran. "And I don't think this case is dismissed!"

"What? How can you say that?" asked the red car and Kuran answered, "Simple: I rented a sleeping place from her before you showed up and I have a bad feeling now. And I learned to trust my feelings on the hard way."

And indeed: She made a speech about that Kuran and the red car had to fix the road and they would have enough PS for the job… and it was clear she disliked the two: Kuran because she thinks now he betrayed her since she believed he was a customer who could bring something into the town while the red car… his antics towards here were not really the best to hit a girl.

Later Kuran and the red car, who finally introduced himself as Lightning McQueen, and Mater put him in front of a big machine introduced as Bessie, a road-paving machine. Kuran wondered why they were put here first and asked, "Shouldn't we fix the crater in the middle of the street first?"

Mater laughed "You're right! Where did I have my mind?" while he accidently released McQueen from his parking boot, who took the chance to drive off fast. However, since the Doc seems to keep his cool, Kuran asked, "I guess you took some of our fuel?"

"You're right lad! Glad that you seem smarter than him!" told the Doc and Mater brought Kuran to a machine that should fill up the street once Kuran figured out how to use it under the watch of the sheriff.

Since it seems to be already prepared for this work, Kuran was finished in the moment where McQueen started his work. He talked with Mater about something and suddenly pulled on Bessie madly. Kuran just sighs and called to McQueen, "If you do that in this speed, we'll have to do this all over!"

"Pah! The faster I finish this, the faster I can go to get the Piston Cup!" told Lightning and Kuran just shrugs and until it was his turn to pull Bessie he tried to get into a chat with the locals… after the sheriff put the parking boot back on the wheel. He learned about Radiator Springs' past and realized why this town was so worn down. However nobody seems to really know why Sally was here except for the fact that she wants the town to get back to its former shape. Then he noticed McQueen was now in an argument with the Doc and one look at the street was enough to tell why they argued. What he didn't expect: Lighting challenged the Doc to a car race and Kuran should join in as well, with following conditions: If Lightning wins, he leaves. If Kuran wins, Lighting leaves as well ,but Kuran… he has to fend off for himself. And if the Doc wins, Lightning would do the sentence alone.

Kuran looked at the Doc and asked, "You sure you want to do that?"

"Sure! He needs to learn the hard way how to deal with the world," told the Doc, "however: I didn't sentence you for the damage on my house yet so you would stay here even if you won."

Later they were at the racing place, and Kuran just needed a look at the sandy ground to know he won't have a chance since he never car raced before. And he has doubts about Lightning winning since race cars have solid streets.

Once the race started, McQueen raced off in a blink of the eye. Kuran stays and said, "I don't race for that idiot and I don't think he'll make it through the first turn."

"Do you have experience with race cars?" asked Doc Houston and Kuran just said, "Only same basic stuff, but this is enough to guess that he is not used to sand roads… and I never did a race before."

"In this case you are off the job. Now you have to fix my house… well… only the one wall you crashed. I wanted to redesign my living room anyway."

Kuran laughed weakly while following the Doc to recover Lightning who really flew out off the course in the first curve and lands in cacteens.

Now the red car was back on Bessy, grumbling in the work while Kuran tries to fix the wall of the Doc. At the end of the day Kuran was released and given the room again he had before. On the next morning he saw that McQueen had worked through the entire night and chuckles, "Well… his arrogance brought him into this!" Then he mumbled, "Arrogance…"

However the other citizens of the town seems to appreciate what McQueen made over night. And Kuran just took his amount of fuel for the day and began where he stopped last day by his attempts of repairing the wall… which wasn't much since he had to figure out first HOW to fix a wall… never done it before even before he turned out to be a car.

He learned later that Lightning was back on the race road trying to solve the mystery of how to get through the curve without leaving the track. Kuran didn't care. The only thing he cared was to laugh as Mater took his back again this time with a whole cactus tree on the top of McQueen.

Later that day as Kuran returned to his cone, he saw that Lightning was suddenly clean again. He guessed somebody cared to clean off this race car.

Later that night he was surprised that Mater was waking him and Lightning up with the request to follow him somewhere. They followed him to a pasture with lots of tractors on it. Kuran asked, "What are we doing here?"

"Watch and learn buddy!" told Mater and sneaks up on one of the tractors and shocks it with his honk, and in surprise the tractor let out a "moooh, drove backwards, and lands on the back with letting out an odd sound. McQueen said he couldn't do that because he doesn't have a horn but after being convinced by Mater, he went close to the next tractor and turned up his engine which roared loudly and caused ALL tractors on their backs, causing all of them to laugh.

Suddenly he heard an enraged roar and they turned to spot a light coming close. Mater just said, "That's Frank" before driving away. A large harvester appeared and it looks very pissed. Kuran and Lightning took a look at each other before letting out a shriek of terror and drive away as fast as possible! Mater, however, seems to enjoy this and laughs until they lost this beast. Back by the motel Kuran pants and began to laugh with Mater and makes jokes with him. McQueen seems to get caught and suddenly Mater drives madly backwards, impressing both Kuran and Lightning for this stunt.

Then Lightning and Mater came to talk about the red car's race and Kuran decided it was enough for the day. However Sally stopped him and told him, "Mater seems to view you and Lightning as friends… with Lightning being the closer one of you two but don't turn down on him!"

"I don't know if I even deserve any kind of friend. After all I have something in common with McQueen… our arrogance. While with different goals our arrogance led us to not see what is really important. Even right now I am unable to see what is important to me… what is my light to guide me. All I can see on my road is darkness."

"Wow! Did we get a philosopher here?" asked Sally and Kuran laughs. "Not a trained one but it seems I have my moments."

Then he turned back to sleep for the next day full of work. But he noticed that Sally and Lightning had a talk as well and… it seems that Lightning seems to be farther in his lesson then Kuran…

Kuran was on the way to the gas station as he saw that Lightning was… driving into the garage of the Doc. Not liking it, he followed the red car but saw that Doc was coming close as well. "Doc… I think Lightning just went in there."

He seems to ignore Kuran and just went over and said, "Signs said stay out."

However Lightnings reply was only, "You have three Piston Cups. How could you have…?"

"I knew you couldn't drive. I didn't know you couldn't read," interrupted Housten and Kuran just said, "You are wrong Doc… he is like me. Just so arrogant that we cannot see the obvious."

"Hey what do you mean by that?" asked Lightning and then he got something. "You're the Hudson Hornet!"

"Wait at Flo's, like I told ya! The same counts for you Kuran!" told Hudson but Lightning keeps on while he got pushed out by Hudson.

"Of course. I can't believe I didn't see it before. You're The Fabulous Hudson Hornet! You used to hold the record for most wins in a season. Oh, we gotta talk. You gotta show me your tricks. Please."

"I think he already tried that but you failed to understand," told Kuran but Lightning keeps on. "You won three times! Look at those trophies!"

"You look. All I see is a bunch of empty cups." Countered Hudson and closed the door. Then Lightning went to the gas station and began to try to convince everybody that Hudson is a famous racecar but nobody believes him and laughs loudly at him. Crestfallen, he went to his position to get his load of gas. Sally gave it to him and drives off with the race car.

Kuran guessed he shouldn't follow him since this would go deeper between the two. Instead he went and continued his work. He finished and as Doc Hudson looked at it he said, "Good job boy! I guess you are off the hook now!"

"Thanks Hudson," told Kuran and just as he wanted to go Hudson said, "I don't think you are arrogant. You just have no idea what you should do."

"Isn't it the same as arrogance?" asked Kuran and Hudson said, "You seem to be somewhat open to the suggestions of others. Now get out of the town and don't mind our business again."

"Sorry Doc! But I think I still have something to do here… even if it isn't much." Countered Kuran and from Doc came, "Humph! Do whatever you think you must do."

With that Hudson left the scene and sometime later he saw Sally and Lightning coming back from their trip. Kuran wondered if Lightning learned about the town's past, yet the car turned human just felt sad about the thought that such a town were turned down just because a street was built to save ten minutes.

"Hey! How was the trip?" asked Kuran as he got to Lightning. However, before an answer could have been spoken, Mater appeared and told the two, "Hey, listen, listen! If anybody ask you, we were out smashin' mailboxes, OK?"

"Wha… what?" wondered Lightning and Kuran just said, "We get the aftermath of our action."

Lightning looked at the same direction like Kuran and saw that dozens of tractors were coming towards them. Quickly they got out of the way and the tractors are storming into the town. However the people of Radiator Springs instantly went to stop them and capture them.

The Sheriff shouted, "Mater" and got as a reply, "I wasn't tractor-tippin'!"

"Then where did all these gol-durn tractors come from?"

Kuran glanced at Lightning with a chuckle. "Better we don't say a word."

"I agree with you!" told Lightning and they saw some tractors going astray. They followed them since everybody else was busy right now with the rest of the herd.

They keep following until they lost them, but noticed that they were now by the racing spot and also that Hudson was there with a different set of tires. Lighting wondered, "What are you doin' with those old racin' tires?"

"I bet to train and relive the good part of his career," told Kuran and Lightning looked at him. Kuran keeps on, "I don't need to be an expert to realize that something must happening to turn him so grunty towards racecars."

They watched how Doc was now driving and they saw that as he reached the curve where Lightning was always flying out, he slightly turned his wheels left before making a sharp turn to the right and slides above the ground to the optimal position to continue the race. Kuran could see at Lightning that something dawned in the red car. As Hudson stopped Lightning went over to Hudson. "Wow. You're amazing!"

However Hudson just drove away and Lightning followed him. Kuran decided to follow as well and they end up in the garage of the old Hudson.

"Doc, hold it!" told Lightning. "Seriously, your driving's incredible!"

"Wonderful!" replied Hudson. "Now, go away"

"Hey, I mean it. You've still got it!" told Lightning further and got the reply, "I'm askin' you to leave."

"Come on." Begged the red race car. "I'm a racecar, you're a much older racecar, but under the hood you and I are the same."

"We are not the same! Understand? Now, get out." Told Hudson and Kuran looked and saw a news article and read it. Slowly he got an understanding. Then he heard from Lightning, "How could a car like you quit at the top of your game?"

"He didn't quit… they quit on him…" began Kuran, joining this conversation the first time. "You crashed '54 and once you were fixed, they just have moved to the next rookie."

"You got it right lad. They never gave me the chance to show that I have it still in me," told Hudson. "I keep that article to remind me never to go back. I just never expected that that world would… Would find me here."

Then Lightning spoke, "Hey, look, Doc, I'm not them."

"Oh, yeah?" countered Hudson and Lightning keeps on. "No, I am not!"

Then a question came that Lightning didn't expected to hear: "When is the last time you cared about something except yourself, Hot Rod? You name me one time, and I will take it all back."

Lightning couldn't answer and Kuran only said, "I lied to myself that I was caring for others while I was seeking to fulfill my goal… in the truth I was just selfish and ignored others."

"I didn't think so. These are good folk around here, who care about one another. I don't want 'em depending on someone they can't count on." Told Hudson and Lightning countered, "Oh, like you? You've been here how long, and your friends don't even know who you are? Who's caring about only himself?"

Kuran only looked at Lightning. With reasoning the racecar has a point, but Kuran wouldn't have dared to say such a thing… perhaps he really had to learn a lot…

"Just finish that road and get outta here!" told Huston and left. Kuran looked at Lightning and said, "I'm going to sleep. No idea what you will do"

Lightning nods and made his decision as he left the garage of Doc Husdon.

In the next morning Kuran found as he left his sleeping place the street being complete and whistled since McQueen must have been working all night to finish the work and left afterwards for his race.

Soon the rest of the members of the town were here as well and weren't really happy in their belief the racecar left to win the Piston Cup.

Then a voice asked, "Hey! What is wrong with you?"

Then Mater answered, "Oh, he's just sad cos you left town and you went to big race to win the Piston Cup that you've always dreamed about your whole life and get that big ol' sponsor and that fancy helicopter you was talkin' about."

Then there was a silence and Kuran wondered: WHY the heck Mater takes so long to realize that he just spoke with Lightning?

"Wait a minute!" called Mater, earning a laugh from the others. "I knew you wouldn't leave without saying goodbye."

"What are you doin' here? You're gonna miss your race," told the Sheriff. "Don't worry. I'll give you a police escort, and we'll make up time."

"Thank you, Sheriff," told Lightning. "But, you know, I can't go just yet."

"Well, why not?" asked the Sheriff and McQueen shrugged. "I'm not sure these tires can get me all the way to California."

And this marked a start for a big change of Lightning McQueen's appearance. He got whitewall tires, a new red lack, and his big amount of stickers is replaced with Radiator Spring stickers. Tank organic fuel and bought a pair of night vision goggles.

In the evening they hid Lightning for a moment as Sally came back and as they showed him to her, she was impressed.

Then she stated, "It looks like you helped everybody in town."

"I agree with you Sally! Except one," told Kuran and Lightning complained, "Hey! This was my line!"

Then he adds in, "Hey, is it getting dark out?"

No reaction…

Lighting repeats. "Is it getting dark out?"

Then music turned on and the neon lights of Radiator Spring turned on. Sally gasped, "They fixed their neon!"

Kuran left Sally and Lightning alone and began to dance with the others on the street… at least how a dance between cars can work out.

Kuran chuckles at the sight and even Mater's way and keeps watching on the sidelines. Then he noticed a light in the distance. Sally and McQueen noticed it as well and everybody in Radiator Springs prepared to welcome customers, but in truth it was a punch of reporters and a truck which came to find Lightning McQueen.

They herded everybody and Kuran just said as the reporters asked him out, "No comment!"

He saw that he was pressed by the reporters into the truck and the doors closed and everybody was leaving. Sally and Kuran saw that one reporter went to Hudson and asked, "Hey! Are you Doc Hudson?"

"Yeah!"

"Thanks for the call"

With that Kuran and Sally understood. Hudson sold McQueen out. They went to the old car and Sally asked, "You called them?"

"It's best for everyone, Sally." Told Doc Hudson but Sally countered, "Best for everyone or best for you?"

With that she left and Kuran just said, "Originally I thought what I have in common with Lightning is arrogance… I was wrong. I share the arrogance with you! Lightning changed over the few days… you didn't change in all these years."

Then Kuran turned and exits the town following McQueen, having the feeling the red racecar might need a helping… uhm… tire.

Mater looked with the others after them and said, "I didn't even get to say goodbye to them…"

Everybody left and turned their lights off, leaving Doc Hudson alone in the middle of the street…

In the next morning, Lightning was in his truck and tries to prepare for the race, but he drives off to his memories of Radiator Springs.

He left the truck and wasn't as comfortable with the cameras before. On the pit Lightning told to a red truck car, "Mack, thanks for being my pit crew today."

"Don't worry about it, kid. It's the least I could do," told Mack and suddenly they heard a voice. "Can I help you as well?"

Lightning turned around. "Kuran! How did you get here?"

"I followed you to this town and the rest… a secret!" smirks Kuran, not eager to tell Lightning about his Dark Corridors. "Do you think you can handle your two opponents?"

"What do you know about them?" asked Mack and Kuran answered, "The blue one is the King and champion race car with seven Piston Cups. This is his last race so Dinoco, the company he is racing for is looking for a new car. The other is a green car with a mustache and more stickers then you Lightning. Rival of the King and runs with the name Chick Hicks. Has always been on the second place."

"Wow! You got that good!" told McQueen. "Can you help out Mack as Piston Crew Member?"

"Hope I can learn that job faster than repairing walls," chuckles Kuran. "But I will do my best!"

Then the final preparations of the race started and McQueen went on the course like the King and Hicks. And Kuran didn't need to take long to notice that Lightning didn't seem to be concentrating on the race.

"What is wrong?" wondered Mack and Kuran said, "I guess he is not in here due his time in Radiator Springs! He needs some help."

"How about we help out?" asked a voice and Kuran glanced over. "I didn't think you would come here."

"Well… didn't want that you are completely right about me. And Mater wanted to say good bye to you," told Doc Hudson and Kuran chuckles but stopped Mater from saying anything. "Save that when I leave for real!"

"Hey kid! Are you alright?" asked Mack and McQueen answered, "I don't know, Mack. I don't think I…"

But he was interrupted by Hudson. "I don't come all this way to see you quit!"

"Doc? Guys you're here! I can't believe this!" told McQueen and Doc just stated, "I knew you needed a crew chief but I didn't know it was this bad."

"I thought you said you'd never come back. Well, I really didn't have a choice. Mater didn't get to say goodbye and… a few people were right about a few things."

"Goodbye! Ok, I'm good." Came from Mater and everybody chuckles.

Then McQueen made a pit stop and while everybody went to get Lightning ready to send him back on track Hudson told, "All right, if you can drive as good as you can fix a road, then you can win this eyes with your eyes shut."

"Nothing I would try out right now," adds Kuran with a chuckle as Hudson ends. "Now, get back out there!"

While Hudson gave orders and explains to Lighitning to find a groove that works for him to take the lost lap back, Kuran noticed that the other pit crews and also the watchers in the stadium realizes who is Lightning's new crew chief. And also Hudson saw that everybody seems to cheer up at Hudson and Kuran chuckles, "Seems they didn't forget you at all."

The pit crew of Chicks made fun of the villagers of Radiator Springs and Kuran just comments, "You should watch out! This little guy here will beat you out."

"Ha! If this happens I will paint myself pink and start wearing flower stickers on my body!" laughed the Crew Chief. Kuran chuckles, "I'll remind you on that!"

After a couple of laps, Lightning caught up with Chicks and to prevent Lightning the green car hit the red race car, but didn't expect that McQueen suddenly drove backwards, and after passing the surprised Chick Hicks he turned around and was now behind the King with Hicks on the tail. Then he got hit again but also one of the tires burst. Kuran didn't really like that but as Hudson looked, he saw a flag. He told McQueen to get into the pit stop. Mack told, "We gotta get him back out there fast or we're gonna be a lap down, and we'll never win this race." Kuran told to a small light blue and white forklift, "Guido! You have to act fast. The moment Lightning is in here, change the tires within a sec!"

Guido got four wheels ready and in the moment Mcqueen stops, he threw them into the air and took one wheel out and catched the airborne one, putting it into the place. He repeats it with the other four wheels and did a record change, sending McQueen just in time back to the race.

By the pit crew of Chicks one mustang fell and as Guido just said "Pit Stop," the other mustangs fell as well and Kuran told to the Crew Chief, "Don't forget the flowers to your new pink look!"

Everybody of McQueen's crew cheered on Guido and Lightning drove as fast as possible to win this race while Hicks was still on tail with the King. As Lightning was behind the green car, he was pushed again but this time as McQueen was in the grass, but he used the trick from Hudson and was back on the solid street again, taking the lead.

Doc began, "Float like a Cadilac..."

"Sting like a Beemer!" finished McQueen.

They came close to the finish line but Hicks didn't want to lose again and hit the King in a way that he crashed badly, was more a wreck then a car. Lightning saw what happened and took the breaks, just stopping inches in front of the finish line. Hicks, however, didn't waste time and passed through it, winning this race.

McQueen drove backwards and began to push the King through the finish line with the comment, "The King should finish his last race."

Everybody cheered on the sportsmanship of McQueen and later as Hicks wanted his trophy, it was just tossed to him and everybody just booed at him. He retreats and Kuran went to him, telling, "You won this race! But you lost your support."

Before Hicks could command anything Kuran left, joining up with the others. He learned that Lightning was being offered a contract with Dinoco, but turned down since the others were the reason why he is now in this position.

Kuran chuckles and told Lightning, "Way to go!"

"Thanks! Without all of you I wouldn't be here!" told Lightning and Kuran answered, "Well… until next time."

"You are leaving?" asked Hudson and Kuran saidn "I did what I felt I had to do… but I didn't find my own road yet."

McQueen nods. "Make sure to come back once you found your road!"

"Promise!" told Kuran and drove into the desert.

While he drove in the sandy underground, a tune was heard from the 80s and a voice toldm "Knight Rider, a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade to cham-"

"Stop right here!" called Kuran. "We are here not in the 80s! I have the wrong coloration, not sure even the right car model, and I am for sure not a real car with high tech equipment! Once I leave this world I won't be a car anymore! Back to human!"

With that Kuran opens a dark corridor and left. "The world… of the Knight Rider."

Pardon: The world… of the living cars.


	9. Chapter 9

Sora and Riku sat in their Gummi Ship and watched how the worlds passed them. Donald and Goofy were called by King Mickey for an important arrangement so they weren't with the two key bearers this time but requested to be picked up after the visit. Sora was bored since nothing seems to happen. No nobodies or heartless trying to stop them on their path, just like they don't exist anymore.

"Guess Organization XII and Maleficent are not really interested to take action now," told Sora and Riku just countered, "I think they're just collecting their forces. After all, from King Mickey I know that Maleficient is after the data of the worlds which is currently in Disney Castle and the Organization is still one member short."

"That's true! That means they still try to recruit somebody for this position," told Sora and Riku shrugs. "But we don't know if they are still after you or if they have another candidate for this."

"If they have then it might be difficult to find this one due to the fact that they didn't move yet," countered Sora and Riku asked, "Ok! Who are you and what have you done with Sora?"

"Huh?" wondered Sora but a beeping sound changed his attention to the radar and he asked, "Seems we are coming closer to Fugeo's world! I wonder how much different it is from what we have seen in the dream world."

"I can guess a lot is different since Fugeo was not fully grown in the worlds dreams, while we know he is grown up," explained Riku and Sora nods to him, knowing that his silver haired friend is right.

They parked the Gummi Ship outside the world and let the transporter of the vehicle transporte them down.

Sora and Riku found soon themselves on a grass field but… they didn't expect one thing: They turned into dragons!

Sora was now a brown dragon with white wings and horns. Also his head still shows the same spiky hair and his crown shaped necklace was still hanging around him and his tail end looked like a silver star.

Riku on the other hand was bigger than Sora with a dark grey body and light blue eyes. He also had his white hair in his normal style handing from his head and his horns were white while the wings are black. But the end of his tail resembles the two wings of his Keyblade, and unlike Sora he never has been walking on four legs so he was a bit shaky there.

Sora helped his friend by explaining how he learned it from Goofy in the Pride Lands but… none of them had any clue how to handle with the wings on their back. Also the Keyblades are difficult to hold due to the fact they have different forms and Sora didn't understand the difference between a lion muzzle and a dragon muzzle so he couldn't hold it properly as he tried it. The same counts for Riku.

"I think we need to look around to find another dragon. From him we could possibly learn how to fly and find somebody who can lead us to the Chronicler," suggested Riku and Sora just agreed with him. They began to walk into a random direction and walked on.

Then they suddenly heard a rustle in a bush and as they looked a tiny black dragon head with yellow horns and purple eyes is sticking out. It tilts its head while looking at Sora and Riku.

The two looked but and there was and awkward silence until Sora broke it. "Uhm… hi!"

It shrieks and hides in the bush again. The two keybearers looked confused at each other, not really knowing what this was just about. Suddenly another shriek came as the black dragon dashed out with heartless in hot pursuit.

Sora and Riku called their Keyblades in their snouts and exterminates the enemies. They have two feet and a pair of wings with a dragon like appearance. Suddenly the dark creatures took into the air. Sora tried to follow him but… he only managed to crash down again. Riku was not any better but he was not crashing at least.

Then they heard a laugh which was all too clear for both of them. They turned and called, "Pete!"

Pete indeed stood there. Completely unchanged for some reason and he held the dragon by the neck, which squealed loudly and tries to struggle free. "You're right Pimpsqueaks! Here is the almighty Pete!"

"Release the dragon!" called Sora and Pete laughed again. "Make me! But first you have to get past my Heartless! In the meanwhile I'll bring this to Maleficient to have the strongest Heartless! I still wonder how a little thing like this could be considered a dragon that makes a powerful Heartless…"

The dragon shuddered in fear while Pete holds it in a painful way. Riku just told to Pete, "You really should let go of this dragon!"

"And why should I?" asked Pete. Suddenly flames impacted with the Heartless and decimates them faster than Pete could think. While the cat looked around in confusion, trying to understand what just happened, Riku answered, "Simple! It is a baby and I think an adult just showed up!"

Suddenly something crashed into the ground behind Pete which caused to shake the ground. In the head of the Pete are just gathering these information together: The Heartless were taken out by flames, something crashed behind him that caused the ground to shake, not to mention he feels an odd warm wind on his neck. And then the silver haired pimpsqueak told him that this black dragon was a baby… Wait a minute!

"A… baby?" asked Pete. Then he heard a growl and the dragon called with a female voice, "Uncle Fugeo!"

"Uncle?" asked Pete and slowly turned around. He stared into the eyes of a very large dragon. The cat could only stare at the dragon while dropping without noticing the black dragon in his hands. She squeals in pain by the landing and the red dragon in front of Pete just roared at the still staring enemy.

Realizing the situation, the eyes bulged out of Pete while the iris shrinks to little dots and every color left the fat body of Pete, making a puddle of different colors underneath his feet.

A few seconds passed before Pete began to scream in a high pitched and panic filled way.

In a town was a black dragoness with light blue belly and purple wing. She had white hair with neon colors were sitting on a bench with a pair of headphones.

She listened to music at this moment as the shriek passed the town and shattered everything made of glass.

Radiant Garden:

Cid was working on the PC as he heard suddenly a high pitching scream which shatters all windows and monitors. Cursing, the blond haired man asked, "What the hell is going on?"

Yen Sid's Study:

Yen Sid just studies the stars as he heard the loud scream which shatters his windows. He stroked his beard and said, "I knew that the sight of a dragon caused terror. But I never expected that one banished from his home would feel such a great fear against these mighty creatures."

Disney Castle:

Donald and Goofy were carrying some stuff for Queen Minnie as the scream reached that world and Goofy just said, "Gosh, is it me or does it sounds like Pete after getting hit by this rock between his legs?"

Donald shook his head. "No way! He was not screaming with that much fear in the voice was back."

Minnie nods. "That is right! I wonder where it does come from…"

Danville:

Phineas and Ferb were standing in front of giant glass duplicate of Schloss Neuschwanstein as the scream hits the glass and caused it to crumble into sand which was blown away by a strong torrent of Heinz Doofenschirtz's failed Windmakiator.

Candace came in dragging her mother along and points where the castle once was without looking. "Tada!"

"Ok Candace… where is the glass castle you was talking about?" asked her mother, Linda.

Candace just looked and began, "But-but-but-but-but-"

Real World:

XSDStitch was just typing the chapter as he heard the scream and he looked around blinking and asked, "Was I the cause?"

He turns his radio on and hears that worldwide this mysterious high pitched scream has been heard. And it caused damage worth millions due to the breaking windows. The only comment from the Fanfiction Hobby Author: "Oops!"

Back to the Dragons:

Pete finally stopped to scream that loudly and rushes off so fast that even as he passed a forest with Snap-Plant, the plant was not able to even notice the fleeing Pete.

The dragon looked after him and said, "Last time I saw him he put up a fight…"

"Perhaps he was more taught in the past," told Sora and Riku guessed, "You met him in the dream worlds?"

A nod from the two answered this question. Sora turned to the red dragon and smiles. "But it is great to see you again Fu!"

"It is a pleasure for me too!" smiles Fugeo but turned to the black dragon. "Nala, your parents were worried sick. They even asked me to help them find you. Why did you run away?"

"I… I saw these black creatures and I wanted to know them… and then… and then…" told the dragoness then she began to cry and snuggles to Fugeo. "I was so scared!"

"It is alright Nala… I am here now…" told Fugeo and nuzzles the little dragoness. She climbs on him and nuzzles on her uncle before slowly falling asleep.

"Seems you are a good uncle," told Sora and Riku said, "Who are her parents?"

"Cynder and Spyro," answered Fugeo and smiles. "You will meet them soon!"

Fugeo was spreading his wings but Sora sweat dropped. "We cannot fly."

Fugeo shook his head. "We won't fly yet. I just flexed my wing muscles."

With that, the dragon flaps his wings a few times before folding them in. "Best we bring Nala back to her parents and then we go to my home."

Sora and Riku agreed and followed the red dragon. They reached a two floored house and suddenly Nala took a sniff in the air and called, "Mommy!"

She jumps down, using on instinct her small wings to slow her fall down, and rushes at the house. A black dragoness with a magenta underbelly, a blade-like tail made of iron and blade claws on her wing thumbs, big wings with magenta membranes, and six silver-white horns on her head steps out of the house. "Nala!"

Nala runs over to her mother who lowered her head and smiles as the little girl nuzzles the larger dragon. "Nala, where have you been? Your father and I were worried about you. We told you not to go out of sight."

"Sorry mommy…" replied Nala and began to cry, sobbing about everything she witnessed. Her mother looked at Fugeo and he replied carefully, "I'll explain it to you later. But if it weren't for Sora and Riku here, who knows what could have happen."

She looked at the two dragon next to Fugeo and told them, "Thank you!"

"No problem!" smiles Sora and Riku just said, "Nothing worth to mention."

Fugeo noticed the tone of Riku but decided to talk with him later. To the black dragon he said, "Can you tell Spyro that I would like to talk to him? Just tell him the day has come."

"Sure! But I would like to know what you and Spyro have in mind," told the dragoness and Fugeo sighs. "Sorry sis… but this is something I rather want to clear with a few others first before I can tell. It is complicated."

"Spyro and I have saved the world once. Can it be so much different?" asked his sister and Fugeo just said, "With our past? Yes!"

This caused the dragoness to look uncomfortable. "Would it have… an effect on this matter?"

"I am not sure. But in your case it would affect you stronger than me." Told Fugeo.

She nods. "I trust your judgment on this Fugeo."

"Thanks Cynder! I'll see you later," told Fugeo and the two rubbed their heads on each other before Fugeo smiles at Nala. "Hope you will be in a better mood when you can play with your cousins!"

By that Nala suddenly jumped up and called, "I will Uncle Fugeo!"

He laughed and left with the two dragons turned keybearers. As they were out of sight and earshot Riku asked, "I didn't know that she is your sister… or that you don't mind what she has done to you."

"What do you mean?" asked Sora and Fugeo chuckles. "Cynder is the reason why I have my scar… but remember Riku! She was just in a state like you and me."

"Got it," told Riku with a nod.

Riku and Sora followed them until they arrived the outskirts of a town. Sora and Riku looked around since plently of free space exist here and only a few houses here and there exist. Fugeo explains, "Most other dragons prefer to live either within the town or somewhere else."

"Why's that?" asked Riku and Fugeo answered, "Because due to the experience in the last war, everybody thinks in case of a surprise attack of an unknown force, the attack would be first Warfang, in which outskirts we are now. Which brings some advances in daily life like having plenty of space. After all, I have children and in a town it is too crowded for my taste."

"Then why don't you live closer to your sister?" asked Sora and Fugeo answered, "Because of my work, I need to be close to Warfang"

Sora accepted it and they reached a house slightly bigger than the house of his sister. The red dragon didn't enter the house; instead he went to the backside of it with Sora and Riku behind him.

On the other side were two little dragons running towards them. One was red with yellow belly, blue wings with white horns, and a crystal looking tail end. At a closer look it looks slightly like Fugeo's tail blade. Also, blue eyes were seen on the dragon.

The other was a light purple dragon with blue hair, blue belly and the same blue wings like the red dragon next to him. It also has the same blue eyes and the tail end was a smaller version of Fugeo's tail blade.

Both called "Daddy!" and jumped at the awaiting side of the large dragon who pretends to be effected by the impact more as it should. He falls to the side while laughing with the little ones. "Hello my little ones! Did you behave while I was gone?"

"Of course Daddy!" smiles the red one and the other nuzzles Fugeo. "We would never trouble Mommy!"

"That is good." Smiles Fugeo and turns to his two friends. "May I introduce to you: My children Saph and Mendeleine."

"Hi! I'm Sora! And this is my best friend Riku!" told Sora with a smile and Mendeleine asked, "Want to play with us?"

"Sure! Hey Riku! How about we just have some fun with them?" asked Sora with a smile. The dragon turned Keybearer let out a sigh and agreed to that, knowing he would have no chance but to do like asked in this matter. Fugeo just interrupted, "How about we see Mommy first to let her know that you two have new play-mates?"

Mendeleine and Saph nods and rushed off, causing a laugh from Fugeo.

Sora looked at his red friend and told, "They are cute!"

"But sometimes a handful." Warned Fugeo. "Mendeleine is very active because she is a fire dragon and she also has been showing a few fire abilities so far even when uncontrolled. Her brother Saph is calmer but still very active and always with her."

"They look at close age," comments Riku from what he saw and Fugeo replied, "That's right! They are close since they are twins."

"I thought dragons lay naturally more than one egg," told Sora confused, causing Fugeo to laugh. "Not in this world! One egg at a time is the normal routine!"

He chuckles once more and said, "Now let's go! We don't want to let them wait."

Fugeo then lead them a bit farther but they saw that the twins were already on their way back, jumping around a light purple dragon with yellow belly, blue wings and blue hairs with white horns. This dragon also has blue eyes and the tail end resembles crystals.

Fugeo smiles and went over and they shared a deep kiss before telling, "I'm back my love…"

"You always come back. It is only the question of when," she giggles and nuzzles him. "And I see you brought somebody with you."

Fugeo nods and tells, "These are Sora and Riku!" then he turns to his friends. "Sora, Riku… this is my lovely mate Daimond."

"It's nice to meet you!" smiles Sora and Riku says, "Pleased to meet you."

"It's the same with me," admits Daimond with a smile, then Sora asked, "Uhm… what does it mean when she is your mate Fugeo?"

Fugeo just shook his head while Riku face palmed. Then Sora's friend whispered something into the ear and Sora blushes. "Oh… sorry! Had no clue."

Fugeo shook his head by realizing that Riku explained it. "Next time you visit a place, try to learn the terms beforehand."

"I will try to remember that," told Sora and Riku joked, "You mean I have to remind you."

"Hey! What that supposed to mean?" asked Sora and then he noticed the twins looking at him with wide and confused eyes.

"Oh… hehe," laughed Sora nervously. "Wanna play?"

Daimond looked at Fugeo. "Do you really trust them?"

"I trust them with my life if I have to," admits Fugeo and whispered to her ear, "Even though I prefer to have it in Riku's hands."


	10. Chapter 10

NEVER AGAIN!

These were the two words that Riku and Sora had in their mind after playing an entire afternoon with the twins. For a fire dragon, Mendeleine was very active and Saph was calmer, but not less active like his sister.

And for the two Keybearers the situation turned worst as Cynder came with her mate Spyro, Sora recognized him because of the colors and form of horns and tail, which also meant that Nala joined in.

Sora never thought that three little dragons can be such a handful to look after while playing with them games that ranges from hide and seek to fetch and even in playful fights with each other they prove to be difficult since they have no control over the small but still sharp claws. In the twins case even their tails ends more so than one wound was caused on the bodies of Sora and Riku.

After their wounds were patched up, they learned from Daimond that these are very harmless situation with hatchlings. Hatchlings of Thunder Dragons are even more active properly due to their connection with electricity. Sora and Riku looked at each other and agreed: Never to babysit dragons again!

However Sora now asked Fugeo, "Fu… why didn't called us to you as Spyro came?"

"Simple!" told the red dragon. "I wanted to talk with Spyro alone a little due to some important things I have to clear before we talk about why you are here. And I didn't want to interrupt you with the games. I just thought you had a lot of fun."

Truth to tell: They had fun but it's still a troublesome thing for them. Right now the three hatchlings are asleep, tired from the long time of playing and were now a pile of sleeping bodies.

But back to the matter: "Ok! I get it," told Riku. "But for the reason we are here… we were supposed to meet the Chronicler in this world and we don't know where to find him."

The four grown up dragons looked at each other before bursting into loud laughing fits which even caused Daimond to roll on her back and hold her stomach.

Riku and Sora were baffled by the sight and had NO idea why these mature dragons are laughing like that.

Cynder recovered a little and asked, "Do you have ANY idea what you are talking about?"

"Eh… why?" asked Sora and Daimond explains, "The Chronicler lives on a remote island! It takes weeks to reach it even if you were able to fly as fast like a wind dragon!"

"Then HOW are we supposed to meet him?" asked Riku and Fugeo answered, "Like he always meets people, when he wishes to talk with them: He visits your dreams! Just stay the night here and tomorrow you will understand everything knowing him."

"Guess one night is better than whole weeks," told Riku.

"Then it's settled! You are my guests for tonight!" told Fugeo and turns to Daimond. "What do you think should we make for dinner?"

"Try to get a deer. I am sure they will appreciate it," told Daimond.

A few hours later the dinner was ready and the two Keybearers realize that a dinner for dragons contains mostly meat with herbs and berries. Only a few vegetables are on the table. Also, they learned that most dragons prefer their meat fresh. Riku wondered, "How did you manage to get the deers? After all, red isn't a color that favors hiding in bushes… not to mention your pure size."

"Hunters secret," told Fugeo with a laugh. "Only so much! Make sure the deer don't smell you!"

Riku just looked flatly at Fugeo since THIS was a pretty common aspect that deers runs away when they smell something that could mean trouble.

Later on they went to sleep. Sora and Riku were surprised that they found themselves in an odd place. It looks like space with floating rocks with random stone buildings around.

More surprising for them is that the Keybearers were now back in their human shape. "Riku. Do you know what is going on?"

"I think this is a dream. Fugeo told us that the Chronicler often visits in dreams to contact other beings," told Riku and they jumped in surprised as they heard from the said dragon, "That is right Riku! And in a dream you can take any from."

They turned around and spot Fugeo, but smaller than in the real world. Riku looked over him and asked, "Was your favorite form in your teenage years?"

Fugeo chuckles. "Let's say I just had one of my most pleasing dreams, which happened in my years as teenager."

"And what kind of dream was it?" asked Sora. Fugeo blushes and says, "This is private."

"And we are not here to talk about Fugeo's dreams," told a new voice and they turned around to spot a new dragon. Sora and Riku recognizes the scale colors and clothes as the one of the Chronicler but the body feature was a completely different one.

"Hello Chronicler Ignitus!" told Fugeo and made a respectful bow towards the dragon. Then Spyro suddenly joined in, around the age where Sora met him before in the dreaming worlds, and rushed over. "Ignitus! Good to see you again!"

Sora wondered why there is such a difference in how they treat the dragon. Then the Keybearer remembered what he heard about the old Chronicler and this Ignitus as they were eating earlier and just said, "oh."

Because Sora didn't say anything, Riku began, "Chronicler Ignitus. I am sure you are aware of the travel in the dreaming worlds that Sora, Fugeo, and I had. I met a dream image of the old Chronicler in there and he told me to meet you here. Can we know why he wanted us to see you?"

"Indeed young Keybearer. The truth is that he wanted me to give you something," told Ignitus while walking over to a pond.

The others followed him and suddenly the pond began to glow and a small, golden glowing creature appears. It was moving in slow and calm motion and at a closer look, everybody was thinking this creature had a small halo above the head.

Fugeo was the first to speak. "Chronicler Ignitus… what is this creature… it looks like… a golden rabbit with halo."

"This is a creature that normally isn't seen by anybody on this world. It belongs to the Lightbringers. That is one of the things I have to give you, Riku, and Sora. A warning of these creatures."

"What are lightbringers?" asked Sora and Ignitus explains, "Like the Heartless are creature of darkness, and Nobodies are creatures that shouldn't exist. So are the Lightbringers, beings of the light like their names indicates. They begin to exist if a human fights against the darkness in such extent that even the darkness in his heart is destroyed and overwhelmed by light. Then one of these Lightbringers comes into existence. Their goal is to destroy the darkness for once and all. However, since light cannot exist without darkness and the other way around, they stop to exist once they are close to the dark realms. Normally they are only seen in the lines between the worlds, fighting creatures of darkness or trying to reach the dark realms."

"But since you have to warn us, I take something changed," told Riku and a nod came from the Chronicler. "Indeed! Somebody took control over the Lightbringers and leads them into the worlds to destroy the darkness. However, if a world is completely devoid of darkness, the world itself dies since there is no more the balance between light and darkness. So you have not only to deal with the true Organization XII and their goals but also with somebody who wants to disturb the balance in favor of the light," explains the old dragon.

"Never thought I had to fight the light. Guess there is a first time for everything!" smirks Sora and Riku just laughs. "You look at this in a very optimistic way!"

"Why not? After all, we managed to deal with Ansem and Xemnas and escaped their trap. I am sure we can handle this problem as well!" retorted Sora and the two friends are just laughing.

"Then I will come to the point why I called Fugeo and Spyro over here." Continued the Chronicler and the image of three amulets appears. Two of them had crystals formed like dragon heads and two crossed Keyblades behind the head. The third one had a crystal formed like a heart.

"Two of these amulets are the Amulets of Dragon Keys. They allow you to from a bond to one of us dragons for using his abilities in form of a Keyblade. They also allows you to use two Keyblades at once without using special abilities like Sora's form change abilities of his clothes," explains the Chronicler. "The third is the Amulet Heart of Crossing Keys. This one allows wielding like the other two amulets two Keyblades. However, the conditions are different. I am afraid I am not allowed to tell you how it is activated. Only so far Heart of Crossing Keys are in possession of one being who will meet you during your travel. But be warned… when you meet him, you will face grave danger."

"And the two Amulets of Dragon Keys?" asked Sora. "What's up with them?"

"I give them to you!" told Ignitus. "Riku! You and Fugeo already formed a Keyblade through your connection. Forming the bond between Dragon and Keyblader would be easier for you two. Sora. I would like you to form a bond with Spyro, since you need all the strength you can reach."

"Are there other kinds of amulets?" asked Riku suddenly after agreeing with the bond forming. The answer was clear: "Indeed! Many different kinds of amulets have been forged by the time of the Keyblades birth. However many got lost, were destroyed, or don't have their power anymore."

"I see…" told Riku and then the Chronicler adds in, "Even if you find some of them… you are unable to use them. Each Keybearer was only able to use one of these Amulets. But you can hand them over to your follow Keybearer."

"Thank you for the information Chronicler," told Riku and suddenly one of the Dragon Key Amulets hovered over to him and the Crystal turned red, while the other went to Sora and turned purple.

The two friends and the dragons looked confused at each other while Ignitus was the exception since he laughed loudly, "It seems the ritual was not nessescary! I wish you a lot of luck in your journey, Keybearers!"

With that, their weird dream ends…

On the next morning took Sora and Riku a breakfast by Fugeo's family, and all were surprised that the amulets appeared overnight. Fugeo just shrugged and said, "The Chronicler has some funny way to do things… perhaps there is a trick as well."

Accepting that they said goodbye and went back to the Gummi Ship. Once they left the world Sora wondered, "Riku… do you have any idea on how we can use these amulets and what kind of abilities the Keyblades have?"

"I can guess on the Keyblade abilities, judging on what I pulled off with Fugeo, but I have no idea how to use the amulet. And also I don't like the warning about the fact that we see grave danger when we meet the one with the third amulet we saw." Replied Riku. Sora put a thought on it and said, "Probably the Chronicler knew we might meet the bearer and wanted to warn us… Hey Riku! How about you let me control the ship and cruise it to the next world? Perhaps we'll have luck and learn where the catch is!"

"Oh no Sora! I gave my promise to Donald and Cid that I won't let you drive! Not to mention they told me about your attempts to fly a Gummi Ship!"

"Hey! That's not fair!"


	11. Chapter 11

The first thing that Kairi noticed after she lands on this world with Aqua was that she could see a snout in front of her eyes... and that this snout must originate from her.

She began to look over her body and notices red fur over her body, making her realize that she must have been turned into an anthromorphic animal. She felt over her head and notices a pair of ears in a particular form and also a tail poking out from her pants. If what she learned in school is right, she must have been turned into a fox. Kairi remembered that Sora told her that he turned once into a lion and mermen. She had some doubts on these parts of Sora's adventure, but now that she witnessed it on herself, she believed him.

Looking around she spots a blue colored cat with Aqua's cloths and the Princess of Heart asked, "Aqua? Is that you?"

"Indeed Kairi! Looks like this world isn't inhabitated by humans, explaining our current forms." told Aqua and giggles. "I heard from Master Erasqus of such worlds, but it is the first time for me to be on one of them."

"At least we are not in a world like Sora visited once. He told me that he turned into a lion and had trouble to handle on four legs at the start," told Kairi, giggling by herself.

"Now we have to find out if Kuran is here, meddling around with the world order," told Aqua seriously and Kairi could only agree... they already had the talk with why the world order needs to stay intact but Kairi still don't understand how it should have been possible to keep it for Sora when he was traveling around with an anthromorpic dog and duck. Not that Sora really managed to NOT get involved with the business of this world. Aqua already showed that she isn't thrilled about this matter. Not to mention that Xenahort already messed up with the world order by telling Maleficient about the other worlds.

They began to walk and wondered how big the forest they were in was right now. Their question was answered as soon as they reached a small town and on a sign stands the village's name: "Nottingham."

From the looks of the buildings, this world must be around the middle age and also the... people? Animals? Whatever: The villagers are wearing rather old and used clothes in most cases. Kairi got the feeling that they are even looking poorer than anybody should expect.

"Ah! New villagers! You must have just come here I assume?" asked a voice and the two females turned around, spotting an obese gray wolf wearing sheriff clothing with crimson shoes with hat. Also a gold star badge is on his clothes.

"We just arrived here and seem to have gotten lost. We... didn't plan on going here. Just looking for somebody," told Aqua.

"Well... in this case I can perhaps help! I am the Sheriff of Nottingham and after you paid the taxes, I am more than willing to look for your missing friend," told the Sheriff.

Kairi had a bad feeling about him and just said, "Sorry! But we prefer to look for our own."

"Your decision!" told the Sheriff. "But you will pay your taxes none the less!"

"How much?" asked Aqua and the Sheriff looked over the two girls. "Since you two are wearing rather fine clothes I will say... At least over 90.000 money!"

"OVER 90.000?" came the shouting reaction and Kairi asked, "How do you expect us to have so much money with us?"

"That is not my concern! Now pay or I will arrest you and throw the key away!" growled the wolf and soon Heartless are popping out of the ground. They look like soldiers but are wearing long bows, aiming at the two keybearers.

"Heartless!" called Kairi and called her Keyblade, Flowering Strength. Aqua also called for her Keyblade, Rainfell. The Sheriff looks in delight at the weapons. "Such fine weapons you have! Well, adding the taxes for such weapons and the tax for even having such weapons and also the tax for the usage, your tax just raised to 858.684 money!"

"Can you believe this?" asked Kairi and Aqua just said, "Not really and I am even part of this situation."

Suddenly a few arrows flew out of the forest and hit the Heartless. The dark creatures shoot aimless into the forest; seeming to only hit the wood there. Also the Sherriff seems to be surprised by the sudden attack. The two Keybearers used the chance and made their escape.

Kairi slashed one of the Heartless while Aqua used a Thunder spell to take a few of them out, making an opening for them.

Making a dash to the forest the Sheriff ordered, "Capture them!"

The Heartless obeys and rushed after the Keybearer. In a moment where the dark creatures lost sight of them, two strong hands grabbed them and lift them into the trees. As the Heartless reached the place, they looked around confused and disappeared.

In the tree are Aqua and Kairi looking with wide eyes at a brown bear with a green shirt with green heat and red feather.

"Come on Little John! Let them down! I am pretty sure these lovely ladies shouldn't stay here up in the trees" told a red fox with green shirt, yellow hat with red feather.

"You're right Robin!" told "Little" John and sat the two keybearers down. Who the hell calls a bear of this size "Little John"?

After all are down, Robin began with a graceful bow, "Maladies! My name is Robin Hood, and this is my friend Little John."

"I am Aqua, and this is Kairi." told Aqua and Robin replied, "It's an honor to meet such fine ladies like you. However, why are you running like that in the forest, with these black creatures after you?"

"We have been in Nottingham and the Sheriff wanted an absurd amount of tax. After refusing he called the Heartless and the rest is clear for you I assume." told Aqua. "After all, you picked us up after we run into the forest, which happened after somebody shot a few arrows, distracting the Heartless."

"I admit I am guilty like charged. But the sheriff must really have a heart of stone. Not only does he takes the last money of everybody here but also let these creatures chase after fine ladies like you."

"Say Robin! Must Lady Miriam be worried?" asked Little John with a chuckle.

"Little John! What are you talking about? Maid Miriam is the only one in my heart!" told Robin. Neither Kairi nor Aqua is asking who Maid Miriam is.

"I think I am going to visit a few of the villagers. One of them has his birthday today," chuckles Robin and disguised himself as a poor old and blind man with a stick, black glasses and a cup with a few coins in there.

As the fox left Aqua asked, "Why does he need to disguise himself?"

"Simple! We are outlaws since we steal from the rich to give it to the poor since they can barely live due to the high taxes from Prince John." told Little John.

"Who is Prince John?" asked Kairi and John looked at her. "Where did you live? He rules right now the land until King Richard comes back. But who knows when this will be the case?"

"I see... we are looking for some people. Did you meet somebody named Kuran or see somebody with a black coat?" asked Kairi but John shook his head. "No I didn't. Perhaps Robin can tell but..."

The two Keybearers understood. There was a big chance that they haven't been on the right world. However they cannot leave right now, thanks to the Heartless here. They asked everything they could about Prince John and from what they heard, this Prince doesn't really have what it takes to gain control over the Heartless. Somebody must have his hands in it.

Soon Robin came back and went to a nearby lake. John began to wash some clothes in the water while Robin was cooking. Kairi and Aqua helped them. However Robin seems to be lost in mind and just turned the wooden spoon in the pot, humming a tune.

Kairi asked why Robin is so out of the mind right now. John chuckles, "Probably thinking of his girl, Maid Miriam."

"His girlfriend?" asked Aqua and John nods to him. Then he tries to get Robins attention. It took a while but soon Robin was turning his attention to John and the others.

"Did you say something?" asked Robin and John replied, "Forget it. Your mind is not on food."

"John just told us about Maid Miriam," said Kairi. "You really must care for her."

"That is right... but I didn't see her since the last time I was in London, and this was a long time ago," told Robin and sighs by thinking of her.

Suddenly they smelled something and Robin called, "Hey! Whoa! I-It's boiling over." he called and took the pot away.

"You burned the chow," told Aqua with a sigh with a shaking head.

"You love her I guess," told Kairi and Robin said, "Yes I do. But what I have to offer her?"

"Besides you cannot cook?" asked Aqua while looking at the remaining food. "I'm serious. She is a highborn lady of quality. While I am an outlaw."

Suddenly an obese anthropomorphic badger with half bald white hair and eyebrows wearing a brown robe with hood tells suddenly, "Oh, for heaven's sake, son. You're no outlaw. Why, someday, you'll be called a great hero."

"A hero?" asked Robin. "Did you hear that? We've just been pardoned."

"I don't feel like a hero," told Kairi and the badger asked, "Who are you two?"

"I am Aqua and this is Kairi. We just happened to be in this place," told Aqua. "And you are?"

"I am Friar Tuck, the Monk of Nottingham. I also help Robin out to give out the money he steals from the rich."

"But it is good to be patronized without even being arrested!" told Little John.

Friar Tuck replied, "Just laugh but there's being a big to-do in Nottingham."

Then he tried something from the boiled meal and coughs loudly with tears in his eyes. "Well-done, ain't it?"

Then he continues, "Old Prince John's havin' a championship archery tournament tomorrow."

"Archery tournament?" asked Kairi. "Why should it interest us?"

"Two reasons!" told Tuck. "First Robin is the best archer of our land and Maid Miriam."

"Maid Miriam?" asked Robin surprised and Tuck replied, "Yeah. She's gonna give a kiss to the winner."

"To kiss the winner?" asked Robin excited and jumps around. "What are we waiting for?"

"About the guards and Heartless waiting for us in this place?" asked Aqua and Robin just replied, "Aha. But remember...faint hearts never won fair lady. Fear not, my friends. This will be my greatest performance."

To underline his statement he had shot an arrow while throwing a hat into the air. The arrow hits a pan and was redirected to his hat which lands after going through the hat perfectly on his head again.

On the next day the entire group was going to the tournament. Little John is now clothed like a rich person with blond hair and Aqua was wearing a familiar attribute, thinking that nobody would recognize her... hopefully, while Kairi wears old children clothes.

Robin was walking on stilts and wears a fake beak to look like a stork. Even different clothes were now on his body and he hides his tail in the clothes, having a few fake feathers in place.

They spotted a fox in fine clothes and Robin said, "There she is, Little John. Isn't she beautiful?"

"Cool it, lover boy. If you do something wrong, you will hang around," warned John.

"Ah, stop worrying. This disguise would fool my own mother," told Robin and the reply from Aqua was, "She isn't here."

"You gotta fool Old Bushel Britches," adds Little John and points to the Sheriff who was passing by. Robin was taking the chance and began to talk with the Sheriff and he let himself fooled by the disguise.

Kairi looked at Little John and said, "I take he isn't the smartest one?"

"Not really!" chuckles Little John and adds up, "Rob is not as bad as actor but wait'll he sees the scene we lay on Prince John."

Aqua nods, remembering that in these disguises she has to pretend to be his wife while Kairi just went into the crowd and acts from there in case of an emergency.

They moved forward and Little John called, "Ah! Me lord my esteemed royal sovereign of the realm."

Then both made a bow and John continued, "The head man himself. You're beautiful."

"He has style, hey, Hiss?" asked Prince John, a lion with too large crown towards a snake.

"Ya took the words right outta my mouth, P.J." went Little John on and Prince John replied, "P.J. I like that. Do you know, I do. Hiss, put it on my luggage. P.J."

"P.J. Yes." Prince John went further on while the snake went closer to Little John and Aqua. "And you? Who might you be, sir and lady?"

"I am Sir Reginald, Duke of Chutney. And this is my lovely wife Lady Aqua," told Little John and Aqua made a bow again. "An honor to meet you."

Then Little John kneeled down. "And you, Your Mithiness, allow me to lay some protocol on you." And then to kiss the paw but Prince John took it away. "Oh, no. Forgive me, but I lose more jewels that way than... please sit down"

"Thanks, P.J." told Little John and took a seat with Aqua, who took the guess that Little John has stolen a few gems from Prince John that way.

Then Little John noticed that he had sat down on Hiss, who coldly complains on this situation but Prince John just said, "Hiss, with you around, who needs a court jester?"

Then he adds on, "Now get out there and keep your snake eyes open for you-know-who."

Hiss nodded and left the scene. Then the tournament was at the beginning and all participants are lining up in a row. Kairi notices that Robin makes Lady Miriam nice eyes right now and she hopes that it wouldn't give off to Prince John. Then a crocodile was showing the main prize, a golden arrow. Then the tournaments started and everybody shoots the arrows at the targets. Kairi noticed a snake in a balloon and Tuck recognized it as Hiss, a loyal servant of Prince John.

Then they noticed that he might find out about Robin and Kairi took her Keyblade out and shot a small fireball to take the balloon out. Tuck catches the snake and put him into barrel with ale. However Aqua in the seats could tell by a look at Prince John that he is already suspecting who Robin Hood is.

Only two were left: The Sheriff and Robin but only Robin got the cheers due to the reputation of the Sheriff.

He also uses a cheap trick after shooting his arrow, marking a bull's eye: he hits Robin with his bow, making him shoot too far up but Robin uses another arrow to cause the first arrow to hit the arrow of the Sheriff, cutting it in two. This marked him as victor.

He was brought in front of Prince John who holds a sword in his hands.

He holds it like he wanted to declare Robin as victor but he says: "Or more appropriately… the loser!"

Then he cuts the jacket that Robin was wearing, causing his entire disguise to fall off. And the guards, all of them are rhinos, are putting him in chains. Prince John began to declare while Little John and Aqua went off the throne, "I sentence you to sudden, instant, and even immediate death!"

Then a Heartless appeared which reminds one of the armor type Heartless, but instead of claws it has a pair of axes on the arms. It stomps towards Robin and already raised the deadly weapon while Maid Mariam tries to reason with Prince John. However due his refusal, she could only cry.

Kairi got her Keyblade ready, but due to the crowd and soldiers she couldn't get a good aim and could just look in horror that this beast was about to kill Robin, but suddenly Prince John shouted to everybody confusion, "Stop! Executioner, stop! Hold your axe!"

However if anybody had looked behind the throne, then Little John and Aqua could be seen with Little John threatening Prince John live with a dagger. Aqua gave a signal to Little John that she went to position for doing something on her own. Little John nods in understanding and told Prince John, "Okay, big shot. Now tell 'em to untie my boddy, or I'll..."

To underline his the threat, he pressed the dagger further to Prince John and he ordered to release Robin, which the Sheriff understand.

Robin was soon free and Maid Mariam was also in his arms and everybody cheered, but once the Sheriff found Little John, the latter was forced to let go of Prince John to hit the Sherriff.

Once released the wannabee king ordered, "Kill them! Don't stand there! Kill them!"

The Executioner was willing to obey but before it could hit any target, three fire balls hit into the face due to Aqua's Triple Fire Spell. The guards charged at Robin but thanks to his friend Little John he had now a sword while the bear fought with a staff against the opponents.

Kairi got behind the Heartless and released a light spell which caused it to collapse, giving the Keybearers time to strike the helm a few times since Kairi told Aqua that Sora encountered similar versions and they had been weak on the helms while the hitting the other parts of the armor just destroys them.

However the armor recovered and slashed with the two axes around, forcing Kairi and Aqua to pull back. But Aqua used another Triple Fire Spell and they hit one of the arms, damaging it heavily. Kairi went in and slashed it once, but it wasn't enough to destroy it and she was send flying back by the counter. However her landing on the sheriff who was trying to attack little John from behind provided a good side.

Aqua looked at the Princess of Heart, but after seeing she is alright she turned her attention back to the armor and prepared her arsenal of magic spells.

In the meanwhile Robin talked with his love while fighting off heartless. "Mariam! Will you marry me?"

"Oh Robin! I thought you'd never asked! But I hoped for a more romantic scenery," was her reply and adds, "You could have chosen a more romantic scene."

Kairi and Little John are now helping the villangers to leave into the forest and also Robin and Lady Mariam were soon away but Kairi had to join in with Aqua to deal with the executioner, but suddenly he was gone but not defeated.

Aqua looked around and thought aloud, "I guess whoever controls them, he didn't want to lose this one for now."

And seeing that the guards are going to try to capture the two Keybearer they disappeared into the forest as well.

They arrived during the evening at the hideout, just in time to join a feast where everybody sung something that is mocking Prince John.

However, mocking a man in this position has consequences… and the consequence was that Prince John, once learning about the song, put the taxes so high that many are arrested because of being unable to pay or forced to leave their homes.

And they learned that Friar Tuck was arrested as well. In the same evening Robin took the disguise of the old and blind man again and found out that the Sheriff plans to hang Fair tuck in the morning.

Due to that fact they had to act. Aqua went into position and, as the Sheriff wasn't paying attention and already shows tiredness, she used a Sleep spell, causing the Sheriff to fall asleep.

They moved over to the cells and to Robin's and Little John's surprise she was able to open it with her Keyblade. Robin asked, "Where can I get a weapon like this?"

"Sorry! It's picky!" told Kairi and went in with Aqua and Little John. Robin moved to Prince John's Quarters, planning to use the opportunity to give the villagers are all their money back.

While Aqua and Kairi freed the villagers Robin sends the money in Prince John's champers to the prison via cable haulage.

Soon a lot of money were given around and they began to move out. Little John looked around to scan the situation but saw that one of the money bags had a hole and coins fell out. Some fall on the sheriff and he woke up. However, before he could react, Little John grabs him and pulled him into the prison and makes sure he won't move for a while.

While the villagers made their way out, Robin makes his escape from the chambers but... Hiss notices it and grabs one of the remaining bags with his mouth while the end of his snake body the end of Prince John's bed. By the force the villagers pulls on the string, the bed was pulled to the balcony and Prince John was now wide awake, and thanks to Hiss' grip on the bag and now by Prince John's leg he was forced to hold on to the balcony with his paws and called for the Guards and Heartless. They came and attacked, forcing Kairi and Aqua to pull her Keyblades.

Then Prince John hit the wall of the tower with the prison after losing the grip on the balcony. And he orders again the guards and Heartless. Little John and Robin got all villagers aboard of a vehicle and they moved it to the exit of the castle.

However one of the children was left behind and Robin runs back to get it. But as Robin was on the way out again, they were surprised that the Executioner was back again. Kairi and Aqua were running back, just in time as the portcullis falls down to close the exit. Robin gave the child to Little John and began to flee from the Guards and Heartless.

Aqua shot three Fire balls at the Executioner and hit the helm. It jumped by the hit and swung the axes around.

Kairi rolled under the swings and used a light spell, destroying the already damaged arm. The remaining one is now swinging badly and the legs are now skittering around the ground, giving Kairi and Aqua trouble to dodge it, and they were hit by the feet. Kairi falls hard on her face while Aqua was pressed against the wall.

Both Keybearers groaned in pain and the Armor reassembles again. It jumps high into the air and lands on the ground, creating a shockwave. Aqua jumped over it but Kairi in her inexperience was full hit by the wave. Aqua casts quickly a cure spell and followed with a triple Fire spell. Kairi looked and saw an opportunity to strike, which she used to throw her Keyblade. It impaled the other arm and suddenly it exploded in a ball of light, surprising Kairi and Aqua in the same moment since none of them are expecting this to happen. The Armor struggled after this explosion and collapsed.

The two keybearers looked at each other and rushed at the Armor and hit it's helmet several times. HOwever the armor recovered faster and knocked both of htem away. Aqua hit a wall so hard that she got knocked out. Kairi rushed over to her to protect her from the opponent. The armor swung the remaining arm and hit her Keyblade. Kairi struggled to hold the block but it began to overpower her and she doesn't know how long she would able to hold this block.

Suddenly the weight lifts from her blade and as she looked she saw that an arrow hit the helm, causing it to struggle a bit. Kairi saw that Robin had shoot it but was now running away from the Sherriff, fleeing into an tower.

Kairi saw a chance and hit the armor again with a light spell. The armor struggles now badly and collapsed on the ground, releasing its heart. Kairi pants and got on her knees, but once she realized that they are still in the castle she tried to lift Aqua up but their size difference was too great.

However, the Heartless were now out of control for some reason and the guards were now busy for now to handle the situation. Also Aqua was waking up and groans in pain. Kairi asked, "Are you alright?"

"Not really... what happened?" asked Aqua and Kairi just said, "We have to get out of here."

Aqua nods and manages to stand up. They got to the wall and jumped into the water and swims to land, there Little John picks them up. Then they notice that one of the towers was now in flames and Robin was on the top of it, jumping aimlessly into the water. Prince John ordered to shoot at Robin.

The arrows are shot down and Robin got under water. Worried, Kairi and Aqua looked at the water and they only saw his hat coming out… with an arrow in it.

Prince John thinks that Robin Hood is now dead and dances around happily while Kairi, Aqua, and Little John are shocked.

However…

"What is that?" asked Kairi as she notices something moving in the water. Little John looked closer at this and suddenly water shot into his face.

"Oh Robin! You really scared us! We thought you were dead now!" told Little John but Kairi smiles. "Seems he knows how to swim!"

Prince John looked shocked at this and turned around to face somebody in a black robe, hiding the face under a hood. "You told me that I would kill Robin with the creatures you let me control! But now look! They are running amok and Robin Hood is still alive!"

"You wasn't able to control them for good. Be glad if they don't take you… and about helping you: I just wanted to see something… and I saw it," told the person and left, leaving Prince John alone which the burning tower of his castle.

On the next morning Kairi asked Robin, "You sure you can handle the rest from here alone?"

"Indeed! We heard that King Richard is coming back from his crusade so I am sure until he is back we won't have any problems!" told Robin and holds Maid Mariam close.

Aqua nods and told them, "Be careful!"

"And come back to visit us!" told Little John. Aqua and Kairi nods to this and went into a distance until it is safe to leave the world and took off.


	12. Chapter 12

Kuran left the Dark Corridor and the first thing he wondered: Why is he on a ship? Followed by why it looks somehow futuristic on it?

Before he could think further somebody asked him, "What are you doing here? Stowaway!"

Stowaway? This means this ship isn't at any port or harbor right now. He turns around and was speechless at fist. The man that was talking with him was made of stone.

However… since Kuran doesn't answer the stone man asked, "Well?"

"Uhm… didn't intend to be a stowaway… I kind came aboard by accident," told Kuran.

"And where have you been in the three days we are already traveling?" asked the stone man and Kuran just shrugs. "Guess you won't believe me when I say that I just came aboard by a different means of traveling that kind brought me here?"

"Nope! You are coming with me now!" told the man and drags Kuran with an iron fist (or stone fist?) into the quarters of the captain and Kuran blinks, a bit surprised as he realized that the captain was a female and slender cat like creature with a blue coat that shows a white colar and golden cuff links and bottoms, as well as white pants and long black boots with high heels.

He doesn't have anything against a woman being captain, but he doesn't know what to think about her species. Then she spoke, "Mister Arrow! Who is this one? I cannot remember that he belongs to the crew, even I have to admit I never cared to learn each individual."

"This Captain is a stowaway I just found! I wanted to know what to do with him," told Mister Arrow and Kuran wondered, "Why Arrow? I would have guessed your name is something… stone like."

"I get that a lot Mister…" answered Mister Arrow and Kuran said, "Yuma. Kuran Yuma."

"So Mister Yuma! Since we won't reach any port or whatever soon, you will work for your stay on this ship and listen to every order I give. And you have to give us your weapon," told the captain and Kuran looked uneasy. "I am not sure you can even hold it."

"Madam! If I may suggest to leave it to him. I saw once such a weapon and know only a few can hold it. I doubt that anybody of this ship could even touch it without him holding it," told Mister Arrow.

"Then he isn't permitted to even touch the handle except I order otherwise," told the captain. "And now bring him to his new work."

"AyeAye Captain!" told Mister Arrow and asked Kuran to come with him. Knowing he won't have a different choice, followed the stone man and asked "Can I at least know the name of the Captain? When I am now in the trouble of working here, then I should know for who I am working for."

"Her name is Captain Amelia and she is the finest Captain of this or any other galaxy," told Mister Arrow and Kuran had the feeling that he didn't land on a world… but somewhere in space. Can it be that randomly opened Dark Portals can also lead to doom?

He got from Mr. Arrow a mop and a bucket. Understanding the new job, Kuran went to clean the ship's deck. While cleaning he saw a boy around his age with brown hair and blue eyes. He wears a jacket with pants. He went over the boy, still cleaning and asked, "Are you a stowaway as well?"

"Better! I am the cabin boy of the ship's chef," told the boy and Kuran nods, "Name's Kuran."

"Jim Hawkins," was his dry reply and they keep cleaning the ship's deck. A few of the crew members hit the two and as they looked at a trio that were talking one asked, "What are you looking at, weirdos?"

Then they heard something and as they looked up, they saw a insect like creature with yellow eyes and long arms with pincers. The creature told them, "Cabin boys and stowaways should learn to mind their own business."

However, much to Kurans surprise, Jim replied, "Why? You got something to hide, bright eyes?"

With that one of the pincers grabbed Jim and pins him on the mast. However a man with Cyborg arm grabs the other pincers with a tool and asked, "Mr. Scroop… you ever see what happens to a fresh purp when you squeeze real hard?"

The he adds the pressure high enough to let Scroop whince in pain and let go of Hawkings. Then Mister Arrow asked what is going on and warned the crew that anything happens again, the offenders would stay in the brig for the rest of the tour. Once Arrow was away like the others, Cyborg Jim's grabbed the mop and told him, "Jimbo! I gave you a job!"

"I was doing it until that bug thing-" "Belay that! I want this deck swabbed spotless and heavens help you if I come back and it's not done. Morph? Keep an eye on this pup and let me know if there be any more distractions."

Then a pink blob appears and looked at Jim with sudden huge eyes. Kuran wondered what this little thing was.

Late in the night Kuran and Jim were still cleaning the deck and Kuran muttered, "Never saw so many dirt on one ship! And I got around a lot!"

"True! But it has been a fun day. Making new friends like that spider psycho," told Jim and Morph transformed into a miniature version of Sroop repeading, "Spider psycho, spider psycho."

"Not ugly enough!" told Kuran and Morph made his face looking like a madman laughing as in this way.

"Pretty close!" said Jim and Kuran agrees. Then they heard the cyborg and they turned to see him having a pot of leftovers carrying and said, "Thanks heavens for little miracles. Up here for an hour and the deck's still in one piece," while throwing the leftovers overboard.

"I don't break things unless it is impossible to avoid," told Kuran and Jim just said, "Thanks…"

"Didn't your pap ever teach you to pick your fights a bit more carefully?" asked the cyborg and Jim didn't answer while Kuran said, "My father disappeared and the one who took his place died before he had a real chance."

"Mine was also the type of taking off and never coming back sort," Jim put in.

"Sorry lads," told the Cyborg and Jim said, "No big deal. I'm doing just fine."

"I am not sure about it," told Kuran while leaning on the railing with the others. "Me for my part, I am not doing fine… true I can handle some things, but… I don't know what I really want."

"Is that so… well! Since the Captain put you Jimbo in my charge, like it or not, I'll be pounding a few skills into that thick head of yours to keep you out of trouble. And you! As a stowaway I am sure you can also have some use on a few skills! Sure that the Captain won't mind it!"

"What?" are Kuran and Jim asking in surprise and the cyborg keeps on. "From now on I'm not letting you out of me sight." "You can't do-" "You won't so much as eat, sleep, or scratch your bums without my say-so."

"Don't do me any favours!" told Jim and the Cyborg countered, "You can be sure of that, my lad. You can be sure of that."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" asked Kuran.

True to his question, in the next days Jim and Kuran were kept busy with works like putting scratching everything that was on the ships underside off, peeling different kinds of vegetables, learning how to make sailors knots, which were used for Kuran and Jim to escape the cyborg, Kuran learned his name were John Silver, for a moment, leaving him impressed by the work. Also cleaning the ship's deck again, cleaning everything else of the ship came into it from dishes to clothes.

Then one day both were taken on a trip with a small boat that was stored on the ship. They flew around for a while before Silver let Jim use the controls and he showed off his talent with such boats. They were even riding in the tail of a comet.

They laughed all as they got of the tail and Silver laughed as they returned into the ship. "Jimbo! If I could maneuvor a skiff like that when I was your age, they'd be bowing in the streets when I walked by today."

"I don't know!" told Jim. "They weren't exactly singing my praises when I left home."

"Then you can do something now to change that!" laughs Kuran. "I still have to find my way."

"Yeah! And I'm gonna change all that."

"Are you now? How so?" asked Silver and the only answer of him was, "I got some plans. Gonna make people see me a little different."

"Sometimes, plans go astray." Warned Silver and Jim said, "Not this time."

Kuran shook his head. "Don't be so sure… I got plans as well, but… they backfired."

Silver just looked and began to work on his mechanical leg and Kuran asked, "How did this happen?"

"You give up a few things chasing a dream." Told Silver and to Jim's question if it was worth the answer was, "I'm hoping it is, Jimbo."

Kuran nods but suddenly looked down. "I have a bad feeling…"

"How so?" asked Jim and suddenly something shook the ship. Without further waste of time, they rushed up and looked in horror as a sun is exploding. The ship turned to escape the explosion. On an order of Mister Arrow, everybody put the lifelines on and went on the next order to secure the sails. Then all looked in horror that an emormous rock was flying at them. Before it could touch the ship it pulled back and they realized: The supernova collapsed and turned into a black hole. While the ship got pulled closer to the black hole, shockwaves erupts form it and shook the ship.

As the sails were secured they got the order… to release them again? The crew groaned while climbing back up again. Jim was told to secure the lifelines. Kuran could later hear that the lifelines were secured but after the next shockwave, Kuran could see Mister Arrow flew out of the ship and got into the black hole.

"Damm!" cursed Kuran. Then he crashed into a wall as the next shockwave came and pushes the ship away from the black hole. All cheered but Kuran knew better. Then the message came: Mister Arrow didn't make it, but then something was said that made Kuran suspicious: The Lifeline of Arrow wasn't secured… something was wrong but Kuran couldn't tell what is wrong.

Later he went to the now depressed Jim and sat down next to him.

"Leave me alone…" told Jim.

"It wasn't your fault," told Kuran. "Only half of the crew would have survived if-"

"Don't you get it?" asked Jim. "I screwed up! For two seconds, I thought that maybe… I could do something right, but…"

Then, frustrated, he hits the mast, "I just… Just forget it. Forget it."

"Now, you listen to me, James Hawkins!" told Silver, who had listened the conversation. "You got the makings of greatness in ya, but you gotta take the helm and chart your own course. Stick to it, no matter the squalls, and when the time comes you get the chance to really test the cut of your sails and show what you're made of. I hope I'm there catching some of the light coming off ya that day."

This touched Jim so much that he started to sob on Silver and the cyborg just said, "There, there. Lad, it's alright, Jimbo. It's alright. Now Jim, I… I best be getting about my watch and you best be getting some shut-eye."

With that Jim went to sleep and Kuran wanted to follow him but Silver asked him, "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure!" said Kuran and went to Silver.

"Listen boy! For a stowaway you got a lot and I am getting a liking to you as well. In case I am not around when he needs help… please be with him. I think from all people aboard you are the closest friend he got."

"I am sure about it… I have no course or even a faint idea of the direction." Told Kuran and Silver just said, "I think you are on a good way to find your course. I just think you need somebody going with you to aid your course finding!"

"Where to take such a travel companions?" asked Kuran and Silver answered, "I am sure you will meet the right one soon enough."

"Thanks!" told Kuran. "I will remember this."

"Then sleep well Kuran… you and Jimbo needs it."

Kuran nods and went down to sleep as well. As Jim notices Kuran he asked, "What did you took so long?"

"Silver wanted to tell me something… something personal," answered Kuran and Jim accepts it and both went to sleep.

On the next morning Kuran was up early thanks to Morph, which turned into one of Jim's boots and Jim lands on him while chasing the morpher. Groaning, Kuran staggered up while Jim was still chasing the pink blob. Deciding that he should look for Silver he went to the working place of the chef, but he wasn't here! Kuran went up and wondered where he should look now but decides to watch into the space for a moment to get his head clear before getting something to eat. Then… in the distance he could see a world coming closer and one called, "Land ho!"

Now Kuran began to look for Jim to tell him about the news. However as he was finding him, he dragged him to the captain's cabin.

"What is going on?" asked Kuran and Jim just said, "The crew are pirates! They are after the treasure!"

"Treasure? What treasure?" asked Kuran and a dog like species named Dr. Doppler answered, "Flint's loot."

"Are you kidding me? This whole thing is to get the treasure of the thousand worlds? I thought it was only a myth!" called Kuran, but as he recalled about his adventure with Atlantis, he corrected himself. "But in each myth is a truth…"

Captain Amelia however kept calm and took a golden, ball like object out and gave it to Jim and hands each of them a gun. By her question if everybody knows how to use, Kuran shook his head. "Never had such a thing in my hands before."

Doppler fiddled around a bit before shooting by accident before admitting, "No… I don't have a plan how to use it either."

They saw that the cabins lock began to glow red and Kuran got his axe out and hit the ground a few times until a hole, big enough for them to get through, was existing. They jumped in, just in time as Silver used a cannon to blow the door away.

The four are now rushed to the longboats of the ship and try to get it loose but Morph had grabbed the ball and put it into a pile of rope. This distraction gave the pirates enough time to catch up since this ball seems to be important. Jim jumped out of the boat and runs after Morph. Amelia and Doppler began to shoot at the pirates, which were shooting back. Kuran sat on the boat and looked up, spotting something that might be heavy. He took the gun given by him and shoots, but due to his inexperience he missed by a mile.

Doppler on the other hand hit it by accident and let it crush down on the planks where the pirates were walking on, breaking them and letting them fall into the world underneath them.

"Did you actually aim for that?" asked Amelia and Doppler answered, "Yes, actually I did."

Kuran shook his head at this oblivious lie. Then they notice the hatch for the boats are closing again. Then Amilia orders, "When I say 'Now', shoot out the cables."

Kuran nods and knows that they would wait for Jim. He looks over and saw that Jim got the ball and was rushing back to the boat. Once he was jumping aboard, the order to shoot came and the cables were shot off. They hit them and the boat fell off.

Then they shoot off with the boat, but were soon hit by a laser ball and were forced to crash land on the ground. Kuran groans after the crash land but was alright so far... Jim and Doppler were the same, but Amelia... he could see that she broke at least a few rips. But she insisted to see the map and as Jim pulled it out, it turned into Morph and Jim asked, "Where is the map?"

"Probably where he put it in," groans Kuran. "That... wait! This ball is a map?"

"Oh right... yeah... it was the map to the treasure," told Jim and Kuran groans, "That means we need to get back on the ship to have it back in our hands."

"Stifle that blob and get low!" ordered Amelia and they saw why: The pirates were coming down with the other longboat.

"We need a more defensible position," told Amelia. "Mister Hawkings, Mister Yuma! Scout around!"

"Aye, Captain," was the answer of the two and they went around.

They stayed close while they tried to find a good place but… suddenly they heard something. Jim pulled his gun and moved closer to the plants. He came close to the source of the sound and…

"AAAHHHHH!" shouted a voice and a very rusty robot jumps in front of Jim, pinning him down on the ground. Kuran wanted to help him but somebody with a black coat wrapped the arms around him and shouted in the same manner.

"This is fantastic!" shouted the robot and the one who embraces Kuran adds, "It is!"

Then the blond was turned around and he saw a man with red hair and had a green-blue eye color. "I cannot believe that anybody else would come to this freaky world where I am stuck with this freaky robot!"

Kuran doesn't know what to think of this guy and Jim wasn't any better. The robot holds him tight and it seems a part of the head of this robot is missing. Later Kuran would learn that this Robot is called B.E.N, which is short for Bioelectonic Navigator, and is missing his primary memory circuit.

Back to Kurans conversation

"Don't get me wrong!" told the red hair to Kuran. "Spending time with a robot is fine, but… AFTER STICKING WITH A ROBOT THAT LOST ITS MIND AND GOT CRAZY AFTER ONE HUNDRED YEARS YOU GET ALSO CRAZY BY THE TIME I SPEND WITH HIM!"

"Why did you get stuck with him?" asked Kuran and the answer was, "I was asked to look for somebody and this was the first world I encountered… after getting here I had to realize later: I COULDN'T GET OFF!"

"And for who were you… looking for?" asked Kuran somehow have an odd feeling.

"For a boy filled with darkness with little light. He made an escape in front of a few Keybearers and the Restoration Committee." Told the man.

Kuran chuckles, "This would have been me… I am Kuran…"

"Lea! Future Keyblade master, user of fire and in a past live I was known as the _Flurry of Dancing Flames!"_

Then it hit him. "YOU ARE THE ONE I SHOULD LOOK FOR! HEAVEN'S SAKE! THANK YOU FOR FINDING ME! NOW GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

"Sorry… have to help a few people first," told Kuran. "And we have to find a place to hide first, but then I can take you everywhere you want."

"Well… about the hiding place…" began Lea. "I GOT THE PERFECT PLACE FOR YOU!"

Later on they were in a sort of high up placed cave and Kuran just helped Doppler to put Captain Amelia down while B.E.N told, "Pardon the mess! I didn't expect any more visitors then my friend Lea over here!"

While Doppler mused about the markings in this, Amelia ordered, "Mr. Hawkings, stop anyone who tries to approach. Mister Yuma! You help him."

The two nod and looked out where they saw in the clearing that the pirates are now here. However… B.E.N was not paying attention to the trouble and called, "Look! There's some more of your buddies!"

Then he shouted to the Pirates, "Hey, fellas! We're over here, fellas!"

Kuran managed to pull B.E.N in just in time before he got hit by their shooting. Jim shot back a few times before they stopped and they heard Silver calling, "Over here! Jimbo! If it's alright with the Captain I'd like a short word with ya."

"That smells like a trap," told Kuran and Lea just adds, "Traps are very usual in THIS KIND OF SITUATION! JUST LET THEM BLOW UP, TAKE THEIR SHIP, AND GET LOST! I WAS STUCK ON THIS S*piep* OF A METAL BLOCK CALLED WORLD LONG ENOUGH!"

"Metal Block?" asked Kuran but decided, "I'll ask you later! First we need to know what to do."

Then they heard from Silver, "No tricks, just a little palaver."

"Come to bargain for the map, doubtless." Told Amelia but Kuran countered, "If he thinks we have it… then we might have a chance to get it!"

Jim went down to meet Silver while Kuran looked over Amelia with the doctor. "Not good! These wounds needs a treatment! Professional one"

"Don't look at me! I have only a doctor title! This doesn't mean I have… any experience with medicine!" told Doppler and Kuran sighs. "I only know some first aid… never thought to be caught in THIS kind of mess."

As Jim came back, Amelia began to babble weird things and Kuran sighs, "She get's crazy… the fewer caused by her injury must be the reason…"

"Can't you do anything about it?" asked Jim but Doppler shook his head. "I have only a Doctor title… I can only sit and… be useless."

"It's alright doc!" told Jim and B.E.N went in, "Yeah, Doc! Jimmy knows exactly how to get out of this. Jimmy has this knowledge of things."

Jim however went through their options and all result in, "We're dead."

"Jim! Lea told me about something that might help!" told Kuran and Jim asked, "And what?"

"This world seems to be made of metal on the ground on… it has a lot of tunnels we can use. One of them is right in here. We could take it to reach the Longboat, go to the ship, disable the cannon, AND get the map," told Kuran and Jim smirks. "That's a plan!"

Later on Jim, Kuran, Lea, and B.E.N were thanks to the "Back Door" by the camp of the pirates and sneak on the Longboat to fly up to the ship. Aboard they couldn't see any guards, but this doesn't mean here weren't any.

They sneak under deck and Kuran suggests, "We split up… one gets the map while the other gets the cannon disabled."

"Roger that!" were the answer of Lea and B.E.N and they went off to find a way to disable the ships cannon.

Kuran just sighs. "I'll go over the cannon and try to disable it directly."

"I'll get the map!" agreed Jim, still frustrated about the antics of their new friends. And… Lea and B.E.N soon found out that it wouldn't be easy due to the fact there are more cables than spaghetti in a bowl of the same.

Short time later, while Kuran was still working on the cannon, he hears an alarm and groans, "Why the heck did I go here again instead of following them? Oh right! I have no clue how to do the job on these cables."

With that he took his sword and went to break the mechanism to turn the cannon around. But he got hit on the head by something hard…

And his last thought was: "Why again?"

And Jim learned soon who was the culprit without knowing about the state of Kuran: Scroop! He stood ready for Jim and just said, "Cabin Boy!"

Jim was now running for his life while Scroop was after him. However thanks to Morph, which turned into a cake that splashed itself on the face of the bug, Jim was able to aim the gun at Scroop. However…

Thanks to Lea's try this time, the lights turned off and as it turned on again: Scroop wasn't in sight of Jim since the bug was now ABOVE him and ready to strike.

But Morph appeared and hit Scroop, who made a sound that warned Jim. He turned around only to be hit by Scoop's pincher and the gun flew away. Scroop was now nearing Jim. But now they began to float!

This time B.E.N is to be blamed for…

Kuran groans in pain and he was nearly out of reach to grab something as he realized what is happening now. He grabbed onto something and tried to get down again.

Then he saw Jim floating as well, grabbing on the pirate flag on the ship as the last thing that keeps him there. Scroop was climbing up like an insect with an evil grin on the face. He was starting to cut the rope that held the flag in place as Kuran called, "Hey Spider face!"

Scroop looked at him and had to move his pincers to block three incoming black knives. One missed Scroop by a mile, the other was blocked by the pincer, but the third hit the spider into the eye!

He cried in pain as the dagger cut the eye and Jim was able to get down enough to kick Scroop hard enough that he was now floating off board into the space.

Just as Scroop was out of reach the gravity activated again and both Kuran and Jim made a hard landing on the next solid part of the ship.

Slowly they climbed down and as both were in the hearing reach of the other Jim told, "Thanks for the help!"

"No problem! I don't think we'll see this spider face again!" Laughed Kuran, then as B.E.N and Lea appeared to tell that the laser cannons were disconnected, they shriek afterwards as an axe passed the space between them, hitting the mast.

"Next time make sure you don't kill anybody by accident! If I weren't back to my senses in time, I would join Scroop now in floating around in space!" told Kuran and Lea said, "He was one of the bad guys right? So he deserves it to float up there!"

Kuran groans and Jim just sweatdrops. "Let's go back to the others…"

Back into the cave Jim rushed over to the Doctor to tell him that he got the map, but… Silver was in place and took the map. Then they saw that the pirates had them prisoners and Kuran raised his hands and just said, "Blame me for not seeing this…"

"You are like me… you hate to lose," told Silver and tried to open the map, but no matter how much he tried it didn't work!

Then he ordered Jim to open it or he'll kill everybody. Jim obeys and opens the map. However… soon he closes again and told, "You want the map… you're taking me, too."

"We'll take 'em all." Ordered Silver and on the Longboat they flew in the direction that the map was showing until to a point where they had to walk. Only Kuran and B.E.N were taken with Jim while the rest of the prisoners are staying on the boat.

However… they end up in the edge of a cliff as the map closed again and Jim was unable to open it again. He was tossed to the ground but found a hole while everybody talked about tossing everybody over the ground. Jim put it into the hole. A glowing green orb with different symbols and… a triangle formed thing opened and showed… Radiant Garden?

"Radiant Garden?" Asked Kuran and Silver told, "This is impossible! It is across the universe."

Jim began to speak, "A big door…"

Then he touched a symbol, then the portal close and opens again, showing this time Agrabah. Then he pressed again and Disney Town was seen.

"Let's see…" said Jim and did another try and shows this time for Kuran an unknown world. It looked like a moon close the new moon circle. "So that's how Flint did it. He used this portal to roam the universe stealing treasure." Mused Jim. Silver pushed Jim aside and demands while trying to find the right buttom, "But where'd he stash it all?"

B.E.N suddenly said something about, "Buried in the centroid of the mechanism."

"What if the whole planet is the mechanism and the treasure is buried in the center of this planet?" wondered Jim and Kuran adds in, "Then we need to find a shaft that leads to this said center."

"No! Just open the right door," told Jim and pressed a bottom that looks like the planet itself.

Then the portal opens and they saw a stone ceiling with several mechanical stalagmites with holes, emitting from time to time an electrical discharge.

The pirates took Jim and Kuran and went through… seeing soon mountains of gold and Kuran just said, "The loot of a thousand worlds."

The pirates didn't waste much time and went to enjoy the riches in front of them. Jim, Kuran, and B.E.N used the chance and walked around on their own while the pirates didn't pay attention to them. They spot soon an old ship and Kuran asked, "Could it be the ship of Captain Flint?"

"Only one way to find out!" told Jim and went over there with the other two. As they climbed onboard, Kuran saw the remains of something and asked, "Captain Flint?"

"In the flesh!" answered B.E.N. "Sort of. Except for skin, organs, or anything that resembles flesh that's not there."

"No wonder," mused Kuran and saw something in Flint's hand. He took a dagger and broke it free from the bones and showed it to Jim. He made a look at B.E.N who rambles about his lost mind and Jim said, "B.E.N I think we found your mind. Hold Still!"

He grabs the robot and holds the part at his head. The cables reattached on the part while B.E.N told that Jim had cold hands.

The robot stood still for a moment before musing, "You know, I was thinking…"

Realizing what he said and DID B.E.N was overjoyed with his refound memory, but what made Kuran feel uncomfortable was the last part: "To the part where Flint pulled my Memory Circuit so I could never tell anybody about his booby trap!"

Just in the moment it was said, an explosion happened and Heartless appeared everywhere while parts of the planet crashed into the core, breaking the shell open.

"Flint wanted to make sure that nobody stole his treasure so he rigged everything so that the Heartless can take the worlds heart, destroying it on the way!"

"Run! Run for your life!" told B.E.N but Jim countered, "Go back and help the captain and Doc! If I'm not there in 5 minutes, leave without me!"

"I am not leaving my buddy!" told B.E.N, but as he saw Kuran's face he adds, "Unless they look at me like that" and was gone.

"You should go to!" told Jim but Kuran countered while slicing up a Heartless, "I think I shouldn't leave you alone with the Heartless!"

Jim nods and went back to repair the old ship while Kuran fights against the incoming Heartless, knowing that is more a losing battle on the long run.

Back on the Longboat were Doppler, Amelia, and Lea sitting on each other's back and Doppler began, "All my life, I dreamed of an adventure like this. I'm just sorry I couldn't have been more helpful."

"Don't be daft," told Amelia. "You've been very helpful. Truly."

"I feel like such a useless weakling…" countered Doppler, putting his face into his hands and adds after realizing what he just did, "With abnormally thin wrists."

Then he started to insult one of the two guardians while holding his hands behind him. As the guard was in front of him the doctor asked "Is this yours?" while holding a gun at his chest. The guard looked dumb and as the other saw what is going on he stands up to grab a riffle but laughs and raises his hands. Doppler looked shortly and saw that Lea was pointing his Keyblade at the second guard, showing that the red head's ropes were burned off.

Just in this moment B.E.N came running towards them, shouting something about trouble.

Back to Kuran and Jim. Jim was able to fix the ship so far that it started again. Kuran, however, now had trouble with a fat body Heartless so he couldn't help as Silver jumped aboard. As he finally got it finished off, an energy beam hit the ship and all fell out. Kuran managed to grab on and Jim was holding on for his life on something sticking out. Kuran looked down and saw only one thing: The own doom if they fall in. The thing Jim was holding on however began to disappear in the wall. Without wasting time Kuran tried to open a dark portal, but… he couldn't! Closing his eyes to prepare himself for the fall, he said, "Was nice to know you Jim!"

"Same here!" told Jim and he couldn't hold himself any longer, but suddenly Silver grabbed them and pulled them up. As all three were safe they saw that the energy beam destroys the ship and Jim said, "Silver, you gave up?"

"Just a lifelong obsession, Jim. I'll get over it." Told Silver and Kuran just said, "Let's get lost!"

They agree and they run into the portal where the ship was already waiting for them. They rushed to get aboard since they have only 2 minutes and thirty-four seconds left for escaping.

Once they were aboard the ship shot off as fast as possible and Silver began, "Captain, you dropped from the heavens in the nick of-" but Amelia interrupts, "Save your claptrap for the judge, Silver!"

Silver just laughed weakly and Kuran shook his head but warned, "Incoming!"

However it was too late. A random flying part of the planet hit the ship's mast and destroyed a part of it and the falling parts did also damage on the rest of the ship.

"Mizzen sail demobilized. Captain! Thrusters at only thirty percent of capacity!" told B.E.N and Kuran said shocked, "Thirty percent? This is never enough to get out of here!"

"We have to do something!" told Lea and Jim got an idea.

He rushed over to the remains of the cannon that got destroyed by the mess and tries to bind on on a piece of metal. Silver helped him to connect the part and Jim shot off on the board that was made on this way.

Everybody watches where he was heading and Kuran got was is going on. "Doppler! Turn the ship! We head for the portal!"

"Isn't the portal leading to a death by either taken by the Heartless or burned to death by the forming inferno?" asked Lea and Kuran countered, "He wants to open another portal!"

Silver threw in, "Listen to them! Get this blasted heap turned 'round!"

Doppler nods and turned the ship heading to the portal.

Kuran and Lea went to see how Jim's procedure goes on and Silver joins in. And… they hope that Doppler manages to get them to the portal into at least a considerable good piece since the hits here and there are parts of the planet.

But for Jim… the engine dies out and didn't want to get on again now matter how hard Kim tried. Kuran looked at Lea and asked, "Can you cast fire spells?"

"I am a Pyro!" answered Lea and got why the question was asked. He shot a few fire balls but he couldn't hit at this distance.

Kuran bit his lip and holds his hand in front of him, "When I say now, you shoot another one!"

"But how will you-" began Lea but gasped as Kuran concentrated so hard that the darkness began to appear around his body, like somebody who is losing in this, and in front of his hand opens a small dark portal, big enough for a fire spell.

"NOW!" called Kuran and Lea shot in it. Just as it passed the portal collapsed and Kuran did the same, out of breath.

Lea helps him up and looked out again while Silver mumbled, "Come on, lad."

Then Jim shot out of the falling pit and speeds at the portal control while B.E.N is counting down the last 10 seconds.

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

…

…

In the near of a half moon shaped world a triangle portal opens and a ship flew out of it only moments before the planet on the other side of the portal exploded.

Everybody cheered at the safe escape and heads for the world which seems to a port for all ships. Amelia congratulates Jim on the action and told that she will recommend him for the Interstellar Academy. Kuran and Jim, however, notices Silver is going down and they found him as he is about to take a Longboat. He tried to excuse himself by telling that he was to make sure it was safe and secure. He tried to tow the line but failed miserably. Jim fixed it for him and Silver mused, " You learned much…"

Kuran looked at him and Silver told, "If you don't mind, we'd just as soon avoid prison. Little Morphy here, he's a free spirit. Being in a cage it'd break his heart."

Jim and Kuran looked at each other and Kuran just moved a leveler that opened for Silver the way to freedom.

"What say you ship out with us?" asked Silver. "You and me, Hawkins, Yuma, and Silver, full of ourselves and no ties to anyone!"

"You know, when I got on this boat," began Jim, "I would've taken you up on that offer in a second, but I met this old cyborg and he taught me that I could chart my own course. That's what I'm gonna do."

"For me Silver…" adds Kuran in, "I want to chart my own course as well and… I think I found my aid for finding my course. Even when he doesn't know it yet… but I have the feeling he needs my help as well in something."

"And what do you see of that pal of yours?" asked Silver and both said, "A future."

"Look at ya, glowing like a solar fire," Silver told to Jim and to Kuran, "A light leading in the darkness… you two are special boys. You two are gonna rattle the stars."

The three joined in a hug and said goodbye to each other, but gave Morph one last order. "Morphy, I got a job for ya. I need you to keep an eye on this here pup. Will ya do me that little favour?"

Morph cheered and agreed to this. Kuran smiles and while Silver began to take off, he threw to Jim a few gold coins and diamonds telling, "And one more thing. This is for your dear mother to rebuild that inn of hers."

"Stay out of trouble ya old scallywag" told Jim and Kuran adds in, "Or I'll bring trouble to you!"

"Why? When I ever done otherwise?" asked Silver and was only moments later gone, laughing in the stars.

After landing on Montresso Jim and Kuran said goodbye to each other and promised each other to see each other again.

Then he looks at Lea. "Ready to go?"

"Let's move Kuran!" smirks Lea and Kuran adds, "Just a little change of plans… let's us have an adventure together before we go to your science friend!"

"Sounds fun! It's alright with me!"


	13. Chapter 13

Kairi and Aqua land on an island. However Kairi mentioned that it doesn't look like Destiny Islands… it's different but she couldn't tell the difference.

Aqua made the suggestion that it just feels different from the Islands where the Princess of Light grew up. Kairi nods to it and they walked on the beach. Aqua however stopped as she spots something. She walked towards it and Kairi followed it. They saw how a blue little creature captures another creature that looks like a tan gourd-shaped thing with a large opening at the top of his head.

Aqua went closer to the blue creature and asked, "626?"

The creature turned around as it saw Aqua and jumped and beamed, "Aqua!"

"It's really you!" smiles Aqua and a little girl with brown eyes and long black hair in a red dress with white flowers came. "Stitch! You got him!"

"Stitch?" asked Aqua and 626 nods. "Eh! Meega Stitch!"

"Such a nice name!" smiles Aqua and the little girl asked, "Stitch? Who is this women?"

"Aqua! Friend!" told Stitch and the girl looked at her. "You are a friend of Stitch?"

"That's right! I am Aqua and this here is Kairi." Was the reply of the Keyblade master and Kairi smiles. "Nice to meet you!"

Then she kneels down to Stitch. "So you are Stitch? Sora told me about you!"

"Sora!" beamed Stitch and jumped, looking around but Kairi just told him, "Sorry… he isn't here".

"Oh…" told Stitch and the girl replied, "Sorry, Stitch, that only one of the friends you made is here."

Then she turns to Kairi and Aqua. "I am Lilo! You know Stitch already and the one in the pod is Kernel."

"Kernel?" asked Kairi and Aqua and Lilo replied, "Stitch's cousin!"

"Cousin? But I thought 62- eh Stitch was a genetic experiment," told Aqua and Lilo nods. "That's right! Jumba made in all 626 experiments! All of Stitch's cousin. Now we are trying to capture and reform them to give them their one true place."

"One true place? You are really an odd little girl. But it is great to see how well Stitch turned out since I saw him last him."

"Eh!" agreed Stitch. Then Kairi asked, "What to do with… Stitch's cousin?" and Lilo said, "We bring him to his true place. You see Kernel is made to make popcorn! So the best place for him is in the cinema where he can produce endless amounts of popcorn!"

"Then why is he in this pod?" askd Aqua and Lilo told her, "Because he produces the popcorn uncontrolled and we cannot have them laying around everywhere."

"That's a point!" agreed Kairi. They moved afterwards to the cinema of the island and hands Kernel over as popcorn maker.

Afterwards Lilo and Stitch leads Aqua and Kairi to their home and in the house she called, "I am home! Jumba? Pleakley?"

"Pleakley being with older girl on search for replacement for cooking machine!" told an accent and Aqua's eyes widened. "He is here too?"

"Huh? This voice?" told the accent and an obese four-eyed navy space creature with cream face wearing a yellow Hawaiian shirt came into the view. "Ah! Blue haired girl! Haven't seen you for years!"

"So you are out of prision?" asked Aqua in return and the alien laughed. "Blue haired girl is right! I am now reformed evil genius and helping Experiment 626 and little girl to get my experiments back and give them what little girl describes as 'One true place'!"

"Lilo told us about it" said Kairi and asked, "You and Aqua seems to know each other, but… who are you?"

"I am Jumba Jookiba! The evil genius who created Experiment 626 and all of his 625 cousins!" laughed Jumba.

Then something dropped from his hand on the ground and Lilo picked up. It looked like a white marble with the number 483 "Experiment 483?" wondered Lilo.

"Ah! 483… a complete failure! Wanted to create with a newfound element an experiment for tactical warfare! However she even lose in Nime Man Morris… completely useless for designed task!"

"That is that?" asked Kairi and Lilo told, "And Experiment Pod!"

"Except for 626, all of my Experiments were stored in dehydrated form inside a transport module. However, due to an action from little girl, all pods are now scattered over the islands. Most of the now activated experiments were give a place to do good with their power."

"I'll get some water to activate him!" told Lilo and rushes over to the kitchen and soon came back with a glass of water.

Then she put the pod into the water and a yellow sphere grows from it. It exploded in a flash of light and there was now an experiment that has Stitch's body form and two antennas and two spikes on the shoulders blades. The colorations of the experiment were in deep green with white belly fur and the rings around the eyes are also white. On the forehead was a small black gem and it has a tail like that of a cat.

It looked around confused and shrieks as it spots Jumba, running to hide.

"Wait!" called Lilo. "We want to help you!"

However the experiment didn't listen and just keeps running away. Then the door opened and another experiment stood there. 483 crashed into it and falls down.

"Good job Experiment 601! You stopped 483 for us!" told Jumba and Lilo asked, "Kixx? What are you doing here?"

"Experiment 601 being here for check up! One of his arms not working in normal parameters!" told Jumba while Stitch holds 483 to prevent further tries of escaping.

Lilo moved closer to it and tells, "Don't worry! We don't want to hurt you!"

"You not! He will!" told 483 with a female voice which caused Jumba to laugh weakly. "Wasn't excited about failure of Experiment 483 so I made several tests and different kind of means to trigger ability before dehydrating her in frustration."

"Most very unpleasing," was 483's reply.

"Jumba!" called Lilo, annoyed, and Jumba shrugs. "What? Jumba was even more evil genius way back by creation of Experiment 483."

Aqua shook her head and told 483, "We won't hurt you… instead we'll try to find a place where you can do good things. With whatever you are good at!"

"Promise?" asked 483 and Kairi smiles with a nods. "Promise!"

Afterwards they tried several things that might be fitting for 483, but… the results are an exploding kitchen by trying to cook.

A car breaking by the touch of a leaf as she tried to be a mechanic.

Then they tried to give her something that might fit more to her intended programming, but…

It seems she just cannot think tactical at all since she even loses 153 rounds of TicTacToe against Pleakley.

Aboard a ship where a whale-like alien in a black spacesuit walks in his ship as a computer beeped and showed an image of 483. "Warning! Experiment 483 activated! Primary function: Tactical Warfare. Failure."

"Failure? Why should I bother to catch an experiment that is a failure," told the alien and a fat yellow experiment told, "That's right! You cannot catch anything! I bet you would even fail to catch a failure!"

"Silence 625! Who asked for your opinion?"

"You asked it!" told 625 and the alien replied, "This was a rethorical question! They don't need to be answered!"

Suddenly a monitor turned on and a white gerbil with red eyes and a cape that was held by an H formed object and it called, "Gantu! Why are you not out there to capture that experiment?"

"But Doctor Van Hämsterviel! The computer itself says that this experiment is a failure! Why should we bother to capture this useless experiment?" asked Gantu and Hämsterwheel-

"IT'S HÄMSTERVIEL!" shouts Hämsterviel at XSDStitch.

"Ok ok! Sheesh! You should cool down while I write this story!" was his reply and Hämsterviel countered, "Oh yeah? Why should I? After all you pla-"

Suddenly a growl was behind Hämsterviel and he laughs weakly as he saw a monster rabbit in front of him.

"I will be silent and obey whatever you write!" told Hämsterviel and disappeared. XSDStitch turned to the monster rabbit "Thanks for your help Panne!"

"Don't worry about it!" told the Rabbit and hops off. XSDStitch chuckles. "Weird what a human distasting Taguel would do for a human if married to a human! Now back to the story!"

Hämstervile told Gantu, "Because we have an ally that will help us to gather all other Experiments and conquer the universe if we make 626 into a Heartless! But first I want to use another Experiment to see if even a decent Heartless can exist from an Experiment! And a failure is the best option!"

"Understood Doctor Hämsterviel! And who is this ally?" asked Gantu.

"Doesn't matter for now! The only matter is that one of her workers are coming to you, to help you capture this Experiment and turn 626 into a Heartless when the times comes!"

Then the connection was turned off and Gantu wondered who this person and if they would be able to help him in such a senseless matter.

Then he heard a voice. "Hello? Anybody home?"

Gantu went to the entry of his ship and saw a fat cat like person. "Who are you?"

The person jumped in surprise and shouts, "Hey! Don't sneak up on the mighty… Pete?" while realizing that Gantu is at least three times bigger than himself.

"So your name is Pete? Do you have any idea what you will dealing while we try to get this Experiment?"

"No, but it won't be anything that the mighty Pete cannot handle!" told Pete and Gantu just walked out. "Then let's see how it work out!"

In the meanwhile, the others are on their way home after 483 failed in their last try to bring out a hidden talent of hers. She tried to sing, but... only broken glass were the results.

She walks with her head and ears lowered and sighs several times but Lilo tried to cheer her up. "Don't worry! I am sure we can find a place for you where you can use what you are good at!"

"But Jumba right… me failure…" told the experiment and keeps walking on.

Aqua wanted to say something but suddenly several dark creatures are popping from the ground. 481 shrieks by the surprise and runs away. Lilo, being obvious about the danger, called, "Wait!" while running after her.

Aqua got her Keyblade out and as she realized what these creatures are, she gasped, "But this cannot be…"

She turned to Kairi, but for some reason the Princess of Light was just backing away at a tree, full of fear at the sight of the creatures. The Keyblade master could guess what is wrong with the Princess of Light, but she cannot spend time for talking to her and went to slash these creatures, Stitch helping her by pulling two busters out and shoots them at these creatures.

They keep fighting them while protecting Kairi, who was still frozen in fear by these creatures, and slowly limited the numbers until none of them were still there.

Aqua turned to Kairi while asking, "Are you al-"

However… she didn't see her on the tree and asked, "Kairi? Where are you?"

"Hold it right there!" told a voice and Aqua saw who talked. "Captain Gantu! What are you doing here?"

"I am no longer Captain thanks to this monsteriousy and you!" told Gantu. "Now lower your weapon or she will get hurt!"

Then he showed a glass container, holding Kairi in there and Pete came out laughing, "Well isn't it this Keybearer that drove me out of Disney Castle!"

"It was your own fault!" told Aqua while lowering her Keyblade and let it disappear. Stitch growled but stopped as he saw who was in Pete's cluches. "Lilo!"

"Now you little creepy thing! Climb into the other glass container or your little friend will be hurt!" told Pete.

Stitch growls but obeyed and climbs into the glass container and Gantu closed it up. Now he looks at Aqua. "If you want to have them back, then bring us Experiment 481!"

"What? But-" began Pete and Gantu told, "I am in charge of this operation! So you will not question me!"

"Alright! But I wonder where these things showed up," said Pete while they left.

Aqua bit her lip and went to look for 481 to prevent that she runs into these two first and has to find a way to free Kairi, Lilo, and Stitch.

In the meanwhile, 481 sat on a rock and hugs her legs while looking down, saddened. She witnessed how this cat like guy captured Lilo but she was too afraid to do anything and now the human will be in trouble. The Experiment buried her face in and began to sob, not noticing the scene that started to form in front of her.

A dark portal formed and Kuran walked out with Lea and as they spot the Experiment Lea began, "What is this thing?"

"No clue," told Kuran but kneeled down. "But it seems to be crying."

"I am not asking why!" told Lea while backing away. Kuran however asked "What is wrong?"

She looks up and just turns away. Then she gasped as she heard a voice calling, "481! Where are you?"

With that the furball runs away and left a confused Kura and Lea behind. Then Aqua came into the scene and Lea smirks. "You are here too?"

"You two?" wondered Aqua and moved over to Kuran. "We have to talk!"

"About what?" asked Kuran. "About your stunt in Radiant Garden! But first we have to find 481!"

"481?" wondered Lea and Kuran guessed, "Think it was this thing we saw running away after hearing that… number?"

"You saw her? Where did she go?" asked Aqua and Kuran points to a direction. "Why?"

"A few people I met here are captured by Pete and Gantu! And Kairi is also in their hands!" told Aqua and Lea gasped. "They have the Princess?"

"Princess? Like in Princess of Heart?" asked Kuran and he got a yes as answer. With that Kuran said, "We need to know everything!"

Aqua told about Lilo and Stitch, also about 481. Then she finished, "We should split up to find her. However… don't run away Kuran!"

"I won't!" told Kuran and left to find the experiment.

Aqua looked at Lea and asked, "Can we trust him?"

"From what I saw, he isn't that bad," told Lea.

Kuran keeps looking around for the Experiment and found her by a cliff and sat down beside her. "Feeling better here?"

"Want to jump…" was the reply and Kuran just said, "Wouldn't be the solution! After all, your friends needs you."

"Meega failure," was the next reply, but got a slap on the back of the head. "Nobody is a failure! Sure you have to see your way first! This is what I learned a hard way! But if you keep looking you will find your way! I may not right have a to talk since I don't know what I want to do, but I don't accept that you put yourself in a misery like that!"

481 looked at Kuran and suddenly began to cry and clings on his chest. Surprised by this action, Kuran didn't know at first what to do, but then he began to hug her and let her cry.

After she calmed down she sniffed a few last times and got her breath back but started to look confident. "We have to save them!"

"Good! Now we have to find out how!" told Kuran and 481 said, "We have to go back to the house and ask Jumba something"

"Jumba?" wondered Kuran and she just told, "My creator!"

With that she speeds off and Kuran had trouble to keep up with her but manages it. On the way they picked up Aqua and Lea and once they are by Jumba they learned what 481 wanted…

Later, aboard of Gantu's ship, Pete wondered, "What takes her so long! I don't get how hard it should be to get this thing when we managed to get the blue one."

"626 is found of this girl! He would never dare to do something that might harm her! That's why it was so easy! Most of the other Experiments are showing bigger trouble!" told Gantu and 625 chuckles. "That's right! That is why he barely manages to get any Experiment so far!"

They heard footsteps and Aqua came in with a glass container in her hands… with 481 inside it. Lilo cried to Aqua, "Why did you do this?"

"Put the capsule down and take a few steps back!" told Gantu and Aqua did like told. While Gantu went to pick the capsule up, Pete laughed evily and didn't notice that the capsules with Lilo, Stitch and Kairi began to… float?

Only once Gantu turned around and saw that they float close to each other he wondered, "What is going on?"

"Your next failure is happening!" told 481 with… a male voice?

"What are you talking about you failure?" demands Gantu and as the three capsules neared the exit, an Experiment became visible which is easily recognized by Lilo. "Kixx! You were carrying us! That means Houdini must have turned you invisible!"

"What? Experiment 601 and 604 are helping you?" asked Gantu and Aqua said, "Not only these two!"

"That's right!" told another voice and 481 came from behind Aqua. Gantu blinked in confusion. "But… if you have Experiment 481 here… who is in the capsule?"

"Uhm… nobody?" asked 625. "Because it's empty!"

Gantu and Pete looked and were now very confused as they only saw the remains of a black mist disappearing.

Now a dark portal opened in the roof and a second 481 falls down, landing on the ground with two black swords in its hands.

"How dare you!" called Gantu and took his blaster out and shot, only to be returned by a pterosaur-like experiment.

"What? Experiment 608 is here too?" asked Gantu as he let go of his now destroyed blaster.

"Nobody messes with the Mighty Pete!" shouted Pete and snapped his fingers, which caused several Heartless to appear. Kuran grins and fireballs hit the Heartless while 481 just said, "How predictable from you!"

Then she took a ball like object out and crashed it on the ground, releasing smoke on this way.

Pete, 625, and Gantu began to cough violently and as the smoke was gone, they were alone.

"They fled! After them!" ordered Gantu and took persuit, followed by Pete and the Heartless. Once they are in the open, however, the male sounding 481, Aqua, and Lea took with Stitch in position while the other Experiments and Lilo went into safety.

Then the fight began. Stitch made short process with Gantu, after getting a hold of his feet and throwing him into the sky, leaving a shining star at the point where he was thrown over. Pete looked baffled at the sky while his Heartless tried to deal with the enemies, but the cat was soon brought back into reality as a dark knife hit his ass. He howled in pain and was instantly silent as a coconut hit him between the legs. He got on the knees and manages to speak "You… will pay… for this!" and crawls away into a dark portal.

"This was it!" told the male sounding 481. Back by Lilo's house was an Experiment named Morpholomew who turned the second 481 in a human shape, which turned out to be Kuran. Now Lilo understood. "You used Morpholomew to turn your friend into 481 to trick Gantu! And also Houdini to make Kixx invisible so he could carry us out! How did you get this idea?"

"This is were I am now proud of Experiment 481!" told Jumba. "It was her idea to act like this!"

"I thought she…" began Lilo but 481 said, "Let's say… I just needed a little help to realize what I need to use my abilities! Which was a dertimination to use what I can for," smiles 481. "And my name is Irma… I prefer to have chosen my name by myself."

"That's alright!" smiles Lilo. "Now it is easier to find a true place for you!"

"That's right!" told Irma and turns to the Keybalders and Kuran. "Would you like to stay the night here? It's pretty late and I would like to thank you all in a way… and Stitch gave me an idea!"

"Fine by me!" told Kuran and Lea nods. "I agree with you!"

"Well… now let's find a place to stay over!" told Kairi.

In the meanwhile, Gantu is crash-landing and found himself in a very cold climate with a snow desert, and while he looked around shivering he saw a sign telling "Welcome to the North Pole, the home of Santa Clause!"


	14. Chapter 14

Now Sora and Riku found themselves on a beach and Sora wondered, "Odd! I thought we would land in Port Royal."

"Are you sure you know this world?" asked Riku and Sora said, "I am sure! After all, I was here twice with Donald and Goofy! I am sure if we look around we will find Will, Elizabeth, or Jack!"

"Now you mention a Jack… how many do you know?" asked Riku and Sora shrugs. "Not really sure…"

Riku shook his head while they walked on the beach until… they spot a ship on the beach. Sora recognized it. "The Black Pearl? What is it doing here? And where is Jack?"

"The question was in my mind as well," told a voice and as Sora looked at the owner of the voice he called, "Will! It's great to see you!"

"Same here!" told William and asked, "Who is the one with you?"

"That's my best friend Riku! Riku! This is William Turner!" told Sora and Riku nods. "Hello!"

"Seems you found your friend," said Will. "Can you perhaps help me to find Jack? I need his compass."

"Why?" asked Sora. Then Will told them that he and Elizabeth were arrested for pirate activities and now Will has to find Jack to get him working for the East India Trading Company or they would hang both.

"Since the Pearl is here… I guess Jack might be here as well!" told Will. "I just don't know where!"

Suddenly a parrot lands in the near of them and said, "Don't eat me."

"Nobody is planning to eat you!" told Sora and the parrot only repeats, "Don't eat me."

Shaking their heads, the three moved into the jungle in hope to find Jack and his crew. They found a small bottle and Will just mumbled, "Gibbs."

"Who is Gibbs?" asked Riku and Will answered, "One of Jack's men!"

Attached to the bottle was a string and they followed this string until its end. While they wondered why it ends so suddenly, a man jumped out of nowhere and surprised the three so much that they jump back directly into a trap. They hang now upside down and before they could try to free themselves they felt a sting on their necks and they began to see black.

Their capturers brought them into a village and Sora looked surprised as they saw the one sitting on a sort of throne: "Jack?"

Indeed it was Jack Sparrow wearing now some tattoos and… parts of human bodies as necklace?

While Jack began to sort of check them, Will told, "It's me! Will Tuner!"

Jack told the capturers something and Sora said, "Tell them to let us down!"

Jack spoke once more to them and Will adds, "Jack, the compass. That's all I need. Elizabeth is in danger. We were arrested for helping you. She faces the gallows!"

Jack began to speak again and… the three found soon themselves hanging in a sort of ball shaped cave together with other pirates. Sora wondered, "Why would he do this to us? If Jack is the chief why didn't he-"

"Aye the Pelegastos made Jack their chief but he only remains chief as long as he acts like a chief." Interrupted Gibbs.

"He had no choice, that means he's just as much a prisoner here as the rest of us." Thought Will aloud, but Gibbs countered, "Worse as it turns out, see the Pelagastos believe Jack is a god in mortal form and they intend to do him the honor of releasing him from his fleshy prison. They'll roast and eat him."

Sora and Riku began to hear something and Sora said, "I hear drumming."

"Aye the Feast is about to begin Jack's life will end when the drums stop." Adds Gibbs.

"Then we better make our escape! Or they'll take us as meal after they 'freed' their god," told Riku.

"Right! But how should we do it?" asked Sora and Riku told, "We swing us to the wall and climb it up."

"Good idea!" told Will and called over to the other cage what to do. They keep swinging until they reached the wall. Once they got a grip on it, they are climbing up and Will called, "Come on, men! It'll take all of us to crew the Black Pearl!"

"Actually you wouldn't need everyone about six will do." Said a man with a turban in the opposite cage, making everyone freeze and glare at him. This particular pirate had wanted to do a mutiny the pirates in that cage with him were feeling the same way. "Oh dear…."

With that the race started and both parties are trying to get out of their situation first. During the climb Sora asked, "Why are these cages made of bones?"

"They weren't made until we came here! Do you really think a pirate crew would be that small?" told Gibs and Will, Sora, and Riku just stared at the bones realizing from WHO these bones are made. They keep on, however, a native who was on patrol was coming onto the bridge having a perfect view of where they were climbing.

"Look!" Riku hissed as they instantly stopped so as not to be noticed. The pirates in the other cage, however, saw this as an opportunity to get ahead and they began to climb.

"Stop!" Will hissed at them but they didn't listen and they continued to climb. However one of the pirates picked something and it was…

"Snake!" he screamed as they all began to do so, it looked like a coral snake.

"Don't let go!" Sora shouted, but they did and the cage plummeted towards the ground, the rope vine snapping and causing them to fall to their death and sadly they had been seen so now was the time for speed.

"MOVE!" Will stated together as they climbed as hard and fast as they could while the native ran to call for reinforcement from his people. After some time they finally got on the cliff.

"Cut it loose! Find a rock!" told Will and Riku just shook his head and used his Keyblade to cut the rope on the cage.

Suddenly they spot the natives running towards them and Will shouted, "ROLL THE CAGE!"

They did it, however they came to a cliff.

"Oh no." was all RIku in a weak voice had time to say before it rolled off the cliff, everyone screaming as they rolled down the hill and hit a tree.

"Owwww." They moaned, the natives rushed out at them as quick as lightning.

"Lift the cage!" Will stated.

"Come lads, lift it like a lady's skirt!" Gibbs stated.

"Kairi would kill him for that!" whispered Riku as they lifted with the cage and began to run away. They keep running, then suddenly feeling air underneath, they landed in the water and the cage broke open as they all swam out.

"This way lads!" Gibbs called as they made their way against the wall as the natives closed in. "Not good!" told Riku and got ready to have their spears and arrows flying in.

However, suddenly, the natives left and Sora only wondered, "What is going on?"

"No clue! Just take this chance to get on the Pearl!" told Riku and Gibbs just agreed on this. They moved and made their way to the ship.

"HAUL LOOSE THE MOORING LINE, THE MOORING LINE!" Pintel, a nearly bald pirate with practically no shiry and a scraggly beard, called to Ragetti, a pirate with only one eye trying to get his wooden eye back from a monkey named Jack.

"Thief little hairy thief give it back!" Ragetti snapped to his horror Jack began to chew it, "Don't bite it!" he called.

"HAUL LOOSE THE MOORING LINE!" Pintel called.

"He's got my eye he won't give it back!" Ragetti whined.

"Then how'd you get it back last time!?" Pintel yelled as the others came up behind him.

"Excellent, our works half done!" Gibbs stated excitedly, making Pintel smile.

"We've done it for you knowing you'd be coming back for it!" Pintel stated brown-nosing.

"Make ready to make sail boys!" Gibbs called.

"What about Jack?" asked Sora and Will adds, "I won't leave without him!"

Suddenly they heard an "Oy" and spots Jack running out at the side of the beach and headed down, everyone smiled but frowned in fear when they saw that he was being chased by the Pelagastos.

"Never mind let's go!" Will stated, rushing towards the ship.

"CAST OFF THOSE LINES!" Gibbs screamed.

"OY!" Jack called as he was left in the dust; he looked behind him and screamed as he raced away from the Pelagastos.

"MAKE READY TO CAST OFF!" Gibbs yelled spastically as they climbed onto the ship.

"OY!" Jack yelled as he passed a dog that Pintel and Ragetti brought with them who was barking, "Good Doggie AH!" he stated, falling behind a little.

"AHHHH!" he screamed once more before just barely catching up with the ship and climbing on as the Pelagasto's screamed out to him to come back.

"Alas my children this is the day you shall always remember as the day that you almost-"_SPLASH_

A massive wave cut him off, he spat out water as he cringed. "Captain Jack Sparrow." He muttered climbing up into the Black Pearl.

They all screamed and yelled, then noticed the dog barking, the poor hound sweat dropped before running away with the Pelegastos chasing him.

"Let's put some distance between us and this island and head out to open sea." Gibbs told Jack as he dried off.

"Yes to the first, yes to the second, but only so much as we keep to the shadows." Jack replied.

"Isn't that a bit contradictory Captain?" Gibbs asked.

"I have every faith in your skills of navigation, now where is that monkey? I need to shoot something." Jack growled as a wooden eye fell onto the ground.

"Keep to the shallows; he's never done that before." Sora muttered as Will went after Jack.

"Jack Elizabeth is in danger." Will stated.

"Have you considered keeping a better watch on her or just locking her up somewhere?" Jack asked.

"She is locked up bound to hang for helping you!" Will snapped.

"There comes a time when everyone must face the consequences of his or her actions." Jack replied, only to get held at blade point.

"I need that compass Jack and you're gonna give it to me." Will growled.

Jack merely moved the blade to the other side of his head.

"Mr. Gibbs."

"Aye?"

"We have a need to travel up river." Jack stated.

"You mean like a trifling, fancifully need?" Gibbs asked.

"No, more like a resolute and immediate need." Jack replied.

"What we need to do is make sail for Port Royal with all haste." Will stated.

"William I shall trade you the compass, if you, Sora, and… whoever this other guy is, help me to find this!"

William looked at a leader pergament that shows… a key?

"You want us to help you find this?" Will asked.

"No, you want to find this because the finding of this finds you a way of finding detecting and or locating a way to save your bonnie-lass what's her face, savvy?" Jack asked.

"No." Sora replied.

"This is going to save Elizabeth?" Will asked.

"How?" Sora asked.

"How much do all of you know about Davy Jones?" Jack asked cryptically.

"Davy Jones? I heard stories of him, but never thought he would be real!" told Riku. "But considering what I saw… I guess there is the possiblility! And Sora saw a lot more."

"Then you heard more than me about him," told Will and Jack answered, "Yeah, it's going to save Elizabeth."

The Pearl moved to the other side of the island and Riku asked, "Um is it okay to come back here after we just got away from the Pelagastos?" while the rest of the pirates were busy to capture the monkey, Jack.

"They never come to this side of the island." Gibbs replied.

"That's not comforting." Sora muttered, a little afraid.

"Why is Jack afraid of the open ocean?" Will asked, voicing everyone's thoughts on it.

"Well, if you believe such things, there's a beast that does Davy Jones's bidding….with giant tentacles that can suction your face clean off! And can drag a ship down to the depths below…..the Kracken!" Gibbs stated.

"The Kracken?" Sora asked.

"A horrible creature, lad, the stench of his breath is…." Gibbs stated getting a shiver before starting over, "Imagine the last thing you know on this green earth is the roar of the Kracken and the stench of a thousand rotting bodies." Gibbs stated, everyone stared at him fearfully.

"If you believe such things." He stated, making everyone sweat drop.

"And the Key will spare him that?" Will asked.

"Well that's just the question Jack wants asked…badly enough to see _her_." Gibbs replied.

"Her?" wondered Riku.

"Aye."

They went into smaller boats and went deep into the jungle where they found a homely yet ominous shack. They came to the docks as Jack stood up and was the first one a shore. "No worries mates. Tia Dalma and I go way back, thick as thieves we are, nigh inseparable or we were….was…..ago…." Jack stated doing some thinking.

"I'll watch your back." Gibbs assured.

"It's me front I'm worried about, mind the boat." Jack told him.

"Mind the boat," said Gibbs.

"Mind the boat," said Will.

"Mind the boat," said Pintel.

"Mind the boat," said Ragetti.

"Mind the boat," said Marty.

"Mind the boat" said Riku.

"Mind the boat," said Sora.

"Squawwwk mind the boat," said Cotton's parrot, leaving Cotton alone as he could not speak for himself.

They entered the shack as Jack was the first to enter, a women who was sitting in the corner looked up to see him and smiled. She had dark skin and messy dread lock hair and a dress, but not to fancy, a bit more tropical.

"Jack Sparrow?" she smiled.

"Tia Dalma." Jack happily greeted, then ducked under a jar of eye balls.

"I always knew the wind would blow you back to me one day." She replied with a grin as Sora and Will and the others clambered in, she took notice of Will.

"You…."

"Me?" Will asked.

"You have a touch of destiny about you." she stated.

"He does?" Sora asked. "What?" but Sora went ignored.

"Wouldn't you like to know me?" Tia Dalma asked, but Jack intervened.

"There'll be no knowing here, we've come for help and we're not leaving without it….I thought I knew you." he stated.

"Not as well as I hope. I require payment." Tia Dalma replied, getting back to business.

"I brought payment." Jack stated as Gibbs handed him a cage that revealed Jack the Monkey inside. He was then shot but remained unharmed. "An undead monkey top that." Jack grinned.

Tia Dalma let him out much to the dismay of the crew, but he only went to another room of the house where a pair of boots lay like they were on feet something, Riku took notice of.

"I hope you know how long it took us to catch that monkey." Gibbs replied.

"The payment is fair." Tia Dalma replied.

"We're looking for this." Will replied placing the picture down. "And what goes with it."

"But why does we need it if we have the Keyblades?" asked Sora and Tia told after looking at the key, "The lock you are looking for is closed by two keys. The one you see here and one familiar you are holding young Keybearer! Only one of these two keys is able to open the lock!"

Then she looked at Sparrow. "The compass you bartered from me, it cannot lead you to this."

"Maybe, why not?" Jack asked.

She grinned, "Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants. Or do you know, but are you loath to claim it as your own?"

Everybody looked at him and wondered what is in Jack's mind. Then Tia continues, "The key goes to chest. And it is what lay inside the chest you seek, don't it?"

"And inside of it is?" wondered Riku.

"Gold, jewels, unclaimed valuable properties?!" Pintel asked hungrily while Ragetti cringed at the sight of eyeballs in a nearby hanging jar.

"Nothing evil I hope."

"How much do ya all know about Davy Jones? A great sailor and man of the sea until one day he ran afoul of what vexes all men."

"What vexes all men?" Will asked not getting it.

"What indeed?" She asked.

"The sea!" Gibbs suggested.

"Sums!" Pintel suggested.

"The Dichotomy of good and evil?" Ragetti suggested, getting looks from everyone.

"A woman." Jack stated finally.

"A woman…..he fell in love with a woman." Tia Dalma stated.

"No, I heard it was the sea he fell in love with." Gibbs stated.

"Different versions of the story are all true, he fell in love with a woman as harsh and changing as the sea but the pain that she caused him was too much for him to live with, but not enough to make him die…so he placed his heart in the chest." Tia Dalma stated.

"You mean figuratively or literally?" Ragetti asked.

"Well he couldn't put his heart literally in a chest! ...Could he?" Pintel asked.

"It was not worth feeling a fleeting joy that life brings so he carved out his heart and placed it in a chest….then hid the chest from the world and the key he keeps with him at all times." Tia Dalma stated, making everyone minus Jack and Will hang on every word.

"You knew this." Will stated.

"I did not, I did not know where the key was and now we do so. All we have to do is find the Flying Dutchman and get the key and you can go back to Port Royal to save your bonnie lass." Jack replied.

"Let me see your hand." Tia Dalma suddenly stated, Jack reluctantly did unwrapping the cloth on it everyone could see a black spot on his hand.

"What is that?" Sora asked surprised.

"The black spot," Gibbs cried out before spinning around and spitting the ground while wipping his hands.

Ragetti and Pintel in a panic did the same thing.

"Black spots, as good as ever just so you know." Jack stated.

Tia Dalma had gone into the back and came out with a large jar. "Davy Jones cannot make port, or step on land, but once every ten years land is where you are safe Jack Sparrow and so you will carry land with you." Tia Dalma stated handing it over to him.

"Dirt." Jack asked simply. "This is a jar of dirt."

"Yes." Tia Dalma replied.

"Is the jar of dirt going to help?" asked Jack.

"If you don't want it, give it back," told Tia and reached for it.

"No!" told Jack and hugs it closer.

"Then it helps." She replied.

"It seems we have a need to find the Flying Dutchman." Will replied Tia Dalma picked up some crab claws and held them, shaking them a little.

"A touch of destiny!" called Tia and threw them on the table. She sent them to a set of coordinates and they went with the Pearl over there.

"That's the Flying Dutchman?" Will asked, a little disappointed as they weathered a terrible storm.

Riku looked at it. "She doesn't look like much."

"Neither do any of you." Jack replied simply.

"Must have run afoul on the reef." Told Gibbs and Sora asked, "What the plan?"

"Sora and I'll row over, search the ship until we find your bloody key." Suggests Will and Sora agreed on this but asked, "And if there are crewmen?"

"We cut down anyone in our path," told Will and Riku said, "I don't like it!"

Jack however told, "I like it. Simple, easy to remember."

Sora and Will got on a chariot and Jack told over them, "Oy, if by chance you do happen to get captured, tell them that Jack Sparrow sent you to settle his debt. It might save your lives."

"Bon voyage!" told one of the other crewmens. While Will and Sora moves to the wreck, Jack ordered, "Douse the lamps."

Will and Sora were soon on the Dutchmen and Sora told, "Thought it would be more… creepy!"

"Don't worry! It might still come," told Will and starts to look around, finding several bodies and Sora saw someone whose hands were now bleeding, trying to pull a rope. "Hey stop that, you're hurting yourself. It's no use you're ship wrecked!"

Then they heard a splash as something hit the water and the two looked to the source of the sound. They saw somebody in the water and moved him aboard, turning around and gasped as they saw that this man had no face, getting into the distance.

Then out of nowhere another ship raised from the waters. Only minutes later, odd mixtures of sea creatures and man appeared. Sora and Will began to fight against them, but the sheer number overwhelmed them in short time.

Soon the two as well as several survivors of the wreck they are on were lined up, most of them shaking with fear, crying a little while Will and the others just sat there. Sora's eyes traveled over to a thumping sound and a rush of water, there came a creature with a squid like beard and head with several sea creature like features and a large crab claw for an arm lighting his pipe who was clearly Davy Jones, who stopped and blew smoke in the faces of one of the men.

"Do you fear death?" he asked as the man nodded. "Do you fear the cold, dark abyss? All your sins weighing down on your soul? I can prolong your judgment for one hundred years upon the mast." Davy Jones slimily offered.

"Don't listen to him!" Called out a voice. Davy Jones with a crack walked right past Sora and Will, coming to a man who was holding a cross.

"Do you fear death?" Davy Jones harshly asked.

"I'll take my chances sir." The man meekly replied, only to be killed with his corpse tossed overboard as a result, making the others flinch some even cried out.

"Life is cruel, why should the afterlife be any different?!" Davy Jones spat.

Sora growled and wanted to stand only for Will to stop him, but they didn't go unnoticed.

"You lot are, neither dead nor dying, what is your business here?" Jones asked suspiciously.

"Jack Sparrow sent us to settle his debt." Sora said hotly, not looking at Davy Jones.

"I'm sorely tempted to accept that offer." Told Davy Jones and looked in the direction of where the Pearl was. Jack was watching this scene with a telescope and as he lowered it, he jumped back in surprise since Davy Jones was suddenly in front of him.

Out of nowhere, crewmen also of him appeared and sized Jacks crew and Riku as well, who was hold by a tentacle like guy.

"You, Sparrow, were Captain of the Black Pearl for thirteen years. That was our agreement!" Davy Jones snapped.

"Technically, I was Captain for two years before I was horribly mutinied upon." Jack defended meekly.

"Then you're a bad Captain, but a Captain nonetheless. Have you not introduced yourself all these years as '_Captain….__Jack…Sparrow_?'" Jones mocked making the sea crew laugh.

"You have my payment. Two souls to serve you on your ship." Told Jack, earning a glare from Riku who swore in his mind to kill Jack for this. Then revive him and kill again.

"One soul is not equivalent to another and five will not save you." Jones stated, causing everybody to look odd. "Five?"

"This Keybearer has four souls! His own! His Nobody! Something very familiar to the Nobody and a completely different person!" told Jones.

Jack just shrugs and went on, "Since we've established my proposal is sound in principle. Now we're haggling over price.

"Price?" he replied and Jack answered, "Just how many souls do you think my soul is worth?"

"One hundred souls." Told Jones and adds, "Three days."

"You're a diamond, mate. Send them the two back. I'll get started right off." Agreed Jack and Jones replies, "I'll keep the lads you sent over as a good-faith payment; that leaves you ninety-five more to go."

"Have you not met Will Turner and Sora?" asked Jack. "Sora is a Bearer of a Keyblade like you said. He can open any lock you find. Except a few, but nonetheless! And he has, like you stated, four souls. Will on the other hand? Noble, heroic, a terrific soprano. The two are worth at least 10 souls!"

Then he thought. "Maybe 8 and a half… And did I happen to mention he's in love?" causing Davy Jones to look at Jack who adds, "With a girl. Due to be married. Betrothed. Dividing him from her and her from him would be only be half as cruel as actually allowing them to be joined in holy matrimony. Eh?"

Riku decided to risk something, even if it will bring him a killing blow from Sora later: "Sora also has a love interest! A Princess of Light!"

"A Princess of Light?" asked Jones in shock, but then he just shouted, "I keep the two. 95 souls. But I wonder, Sparrow. Can you live with this?"

Then he continues, "Can you condemn innocent people, friends, to lifetimes of servitude in your name while you roam free?"

Jack seems to think for a bit and Riku made the mistake to get hopes up since the answer was, "Yep. I'm good with it. Shall we seal it in blood? I mean ink."

Davy jones grabbed the hand with the black spot and removed it.

"Three days," he replied simply as the entire sea crew left and disappeared, the Dutchman gone.

"You bastard!" roared Riku and got his Keyblade ready to hit Jack for that. But Jack just said, "Trust me! It's part of my plan! Now we have to get the 95 souls for me."

"And where do you think to find them?" asked Riku.

"Fortunately, he was dumb as to the condition in which these souls need be." Jack replied and it clicked in Gibbs head, "Tortuga."

"Aye Tortuga." Jack replied.

Aboard of the Flying Dutchman were two crewman holding Sora down and Davy Jones told him, "Now, since you have 4 souls, you will work aboard on this ship for 400 years! But fortunately for you, it can be devided by two! So you self has only 200 years while your Nobody will have the other 200 years!"

Before Sora could ask how Davy Jones knows about Roxas and who the other two souls might be, his entire body felt like exploding in pain. He cries in pain and everything began to go black for him…

In the meanwhile, in a dirty town where the personification of all sins would call it home, opens a dark portal and Kuran steps out with Lea. After a look around Kuran shouted, "I cannot believe it! Why did we have to land here?"

"What is this place?" wondered Lea, who was still gazing at this crystal that an experiment gave to him while Irma just gave something made of sea shells after taking a look on a sort of… talisman or so that Stitch made of different parts before landing in Lilo's world as a good bye present.

Not to mention that Aqua was unhappy about the fact that Lea and Kuran just left on their own.

"We are here in Tortuga! If you need a place with more sins, then travel back in time to Sodom and Gomorra!"

"Fine! Then we just have to wait until the god of whoever decides the sins are too much and destroys this town!" laughs Lea. "But there must be a reason why we end up here."

"I hope we find the reason soon and get lost from here in the same speed… I have a reason to hate this place!"

Later, after the Pearl reached Tortuga, Gibbs was interviewing crew men. "And what makes you think you're worthy to crew the Black Pearl?"

"I never sailed a day in me life," the old man replied, "So I figured I'd get out and do it while I was still young."

"You'll do. Make your mark. Next!" told Gibbs and the next came.

"My wife ran off with me dog, I've been drunk for a month and I don't give a rats hat weather I live or die!" the scraggly ran down man stated.

"Perfect!" Gibbs stated. "Next!"

"I have one arm and a bum leg." The man replied.

"It's the crow's nest for you." Gibbs stated. "Next!"

"Ever since I was a little lad I've wanted to sail the seas…..forever." the man stated.

"Sooner than you think. Sign the roster." Gibbs stated.

"Thanks very much!" told the man and went on. Jack asked, "How we going?"

"Including those four, that gives us four," stated Gibbs and went to the next person. "And what's your story?"

"My story? It's exactly the same as your story, just one chapter behind." Told the man and went on, "I chased a man across the seven seas. The pursuit cost me my crew, my commission, and my life."

Then he took a bottle of rum and took a good sip from it before Gibbs recognized him, "Commodore?"

"No! Not anymore. Weren't you listening?" asked the man and Riku, who was just standing by until now, asked, "How did you lose all of this?"

The Keybearer got ignored and the former Commodore told, "I nearly had you all off Tripoli. I would have, if not for the hurricane."

"A hurricane?" asked Riku. "Are you all mad or what?"

"So, do I make your crew or not?" asked the Commodore before rising and shouting, "So am I not worthy to sail with the great Jack Sparrow?!" before pointing a gun at Jack, who was trying to get away with a piece of plant for cover, "Or should I just kill you now?" he growled.

Jack merely smiled. "You're hired."

"Sorry." The man replied readying his gun. "Old habits and all that." Riku however, who needs Jack alive for now, jumped into action and he grabbed his arm and forced it up where it shot, ricocheting off the chandler and hitting a nearby bottle of rum, making its drinker punch the guy next to him as an entire fight ensued.

One guy leapt from the balcony as a women named Elizabeth Swann, disguised as a male pirate, came in. She saw the man and knew him as Norrington, she then fought him off but a bunch of already ticked pirates turned on Riku and he pulled his Keyblade out and went to defend himself.

Jack had just ducked, picking up a hat that had been dumped on the stairs, as he tried it on he got up to the balcony and placed it on another pirate who was just sitting on the rail drunk, he switched hats and went to go forward. "Thanks mate." He replied, merely touching him, causing him to fall over.

As he went forward a couple of pirates had a third pirate and were about to throw him over the rail when Jack stopped him and once again switched hats. "Carry on." He replied, leaving the third pirate to his fate but wondering what and screaming, "Why!?"

Norrington, however, was fighting off a storm and had managed to fend them all off. "COME ON THEN WHO'S NEXT?!" he slurred as he stood ready for another spar. However, Elizabeth grabbed the rum he was drinking and smashed the bottle over his head.

"I just wanted the pleasure of doing that myself!" Everyone cheered and threw him out into a pig pen into the mud.

Swann kneels besides Norrington and began, "James Norrington. What has the world done to you?"

Jack, Gibbs, and Riku were on their way back to the pearl as somebody called, "Captain Sparrow."

He turned briefly around and asked, "Come to join me crew, lad? Welcome aboard."

"I'm here to find the man I love." Elizabeth stated.

"I'm flattered lad but my first and only love is the sea." Jack spoke quickly.

"Meaning William Turner, Captain Sparrow," She added.

Surprised, he turns around and wondered, "Elizabeth?" then he told Gibbs, "Hide the rum."

While Gibbs did like told he turns to Elizabeth and states, "These clothes do not flatter you. It should be a dress or nothing. I happen to have no dress in my cabin"

"Jack!" interrupted Elizabeth. "I know Will came to find you. Where is he?"

The pirate began, "Darling. I am truly unhappy to have to tell you this, but through unfortunate circumstances, that had nothing whatsoever to do with me-"

"He sold him and Sora to Davy Jones!" interrupted Riku and Elizabeth shouted, "He did what?"

Now everybody also notices that somebody else had shouted that, and suddenly a Keyblade points at Jack's face and the red haired holder asked, "YOU SOLD SORA TO DAVY JONES? HOW DO YOU THINK I AM GETTING ROXAS BACK NOW?"

"Calm down!" Kuran tried to reason with Lea, but he saw that Elizabeth was now pointing her sword at Jack's face as well and asked, "Why do I have the feeling you two are angry at this guy for the same reason?"

"Probably since both now has an important person in Jones' hands," told Riku, "And nice to see you again!"

"First Aqua and this Kairi and now you?" asked Kuran surprised. "Am I now running into all the Keybearers?"

"You met Kairi and Aqua before coming here?" asked Riku. "Are they here as well?"

"Nope! We left without telling them," told Kuran. Riku nods and told Lea, "Lea… I hate to admit it, but… we need him alive. For now."

"Fine! But if anything happens to Roxas or Sora, I'll burn him to crisps!" told Lea. "And Davy Jones follows him!"

"Oh please.." began Norrington. "The captain of the Flying Dutchman?"

"You look awful. What are you doing here?" asked Jack and the former commodore answered, "You hired me. I can't help it if your standards are lax."

Before Jack could say something, Elizabeth told his name and states, "All I want is to find Will and help Sora."

"Are you certain? Is that what you really want most?" asked Jack and Elizabeth nods. "Of course."

"Because I think you want to find what will save both of them."

"And you'd have a way of doing that?" asked Elizabeth and Jack replied, "Well there is a chest. A chest of unknown size and origin."

"That contains the still-beating heart of Davy Jones." Told Riku and Jack continues, "Whoever possesses the chest, he possesses the leverage to command Jones to do whatever it is he or she wants, including saving your friends from their grim fate."

"And how would we find it?" asked Elizabeth and Jack hands over his compass. "This compass is very unique." Jack told them.

"Unique, having the meaning of broken." Norrginton slurred as he vomited over the deck.

"Well it is true that this compass does not point north, it does, however, point to the thing you want most in this world." Jack replied.

"Are you telling the truth?" asked Elizabeth and Jack replies, "Every word, love. And what you want the most in this world is to find the chest of Davy Jones. Is it not?"

"To save Will and Sora?"

"By finding the chest of Davy Jones." Told Jack. Lea looked at Riku. "Can we trust him?"

"Not really farther then we can throw him," told Riku and Kuran adds, "Then I could make a dark portal to let him fall into an unpleasing place…"

"After we get Sora and Will back, I'll think about your offer," told Riku. Elizabeth opened the compass and after a few moments the needle pointed to a direction and Jack called, "Mr. Gibbs! We have our heading!" And everybody went aboard to move to the direction the compass was pointing.


	15. Chapter 15

Sora groans loudly as he woke up again and everything he saw was blurry, also his hearing was not the best right now. The only thing he can clearly say is that he felt somehow… empty… like something was ripped from his very soul, but he couldn't put a finger on what.

His vision slowly becomes clear and he saw Will and also his hearing kicked back to normal because he could hear from him, "Sora! Wake up!"

"Will? What happened?" asked Sora, groaning loudly and Will answered, "I am not sure… because you passed out suddenly and a boy appeared out of nowhere next to him."

"Wait? What?" asked Sora and shoots up in surprise. "Where is he?"

"Already sent to work! I was sent in to wake you up. If you didn't right now, I would have been forced to use a bucket of water to wake you up." Explained Will and Sora keeps on, "Does he have golden hair and bright blue eyes?"

"He does. Do you know him?" asked Will and Sora nods. "That's Roxas… so this is what Davy Jones meant with I only have to spend 200 of the complete 400 years here."

"But from where did he show up"? asked Will and Sora sighs. "Roxas is a Nobody. When a person loses his heart due to the darkness or because of the Heartless, the body becomes a Nobody if the person has a strong will."

"You lost your heart once?" wondered Will and Sora answered, "To save Kairi."

William nods and a crewman of the Dutchman came and dragged the two to work. It happens to be a storm right now and they rushed around for heavy work. Sora got a lot of trouble because he isn't used to the harsh work of sailing even if he had helped at the Black Pearl. But this was with friendly people… somewhat.

On the other hand William was more used to this work and then he heard an order as a cannon was lifted into the air via ropes. He rushes to secure a rope but somebody hindered him and they argued who's order it is until they saw their faces and… they let go of the rope.

The cannon falls into the ground and broke through. However, since the order was directed for Will, he was put on his feet and prepared to be lashed, but the man that hindered Will tried to stop them. He was even ready to take punishment for both of them. By that Davy Jones came in and asked, "And what would prompt such an act of charity?"

"My son. He's my son." was the only answer and Sora looked in surprised. "This is his father?"

Roxas was surprised as well by that but Jones got a gruesome idea by that: William's father has to give the punishment for his son or the first mate of the Captain will do that. With this choice, Bootstrap Bill chooses to fulfill this. Sora didn't understand but Roxas told, "This guy claims that he can remove the skin with the lashes. And I am sure Bill doesn't want William to be hurt much. It must be a shock already for him to have the only son here."

Sora understood now and watches in pain how William got the lashes on the body. And he cursed that he couldn't use his Keyblade against this without causing trouble. Roxas already wanted him not to act with the Keyblade… they would be overwhelmed in an instant and the punishment would be grief. After if was done, Will disappeared as soon his wounds and pain allowed it. Sora went after him and Roxas sighs while going back to his work.

Williams's father goes after his son, trying to explain everything.

Later, as Sora and Roxas were finished with their work, Roxas began to tell Sora that he and William have to leave as soon as possible since due to the time everbody aboard on this ship will lose who they were, little by little, until they don't know anymore who they are and won't ever leave the ship.

Suddenly from a wall one of those who lost themselves appeared and tells, "The dead man's chest. Open the chest with the key, and stab the heart… No, don't stab the heart. The Dutchman needs living heart or there'll be no Captain, and if there's no captain, there's no one to have the key."

"The key is by the Captain?" concluded Roxas but the man just disappears by the wall again. Sora looked at Roxas. "We have to tell Will about this!"

Roxas agrees and they went to find him. Once they found him they explained everything they learned, but it didn't help them since they still don't know where to find the key or chest… at least by the first they have a better clue than before.

After an unknown period of time the three watches as crew members played a dice game. Bill came in and asked, "Do you want to know the rules?"

"We don't need an explanation," told Roxas and Sora said, "A game of deception. All dices are included in the bet, not only the own."

"The question only left is…" adds William, "What are they wagering?"

"The only thing we have," told Bill. "The years on this ship."

"So any crew member can be challenged?" asked Will and Bill told, "Aye. Anyone."

Roxas realized what the question means. "You don't plan to…"

"I challenge Davy Jones." Called Will out and Davy Jones came down and just said, "I accept, mate."

Will took place and Jones did the same, asking, "The stakes?"

"My soul. An eternity of servitude."

"Against?"

"This!" told will and showed Jones the drawing of the key. The Captain of the Flying Dutchman looked in surprise and asked, "How do you know of the key?"

"Not part of the game," Roxas went in for Will's defense and Jones laughed while showing the key… which was within his tentacles.

They took the cups with the dice and put the cups down. Sora and Bill did the same. Will asked in disbelief, "What are you two doing?"

"The dies are cast!" was the simple reply and Bill states, "My soul an eternity on your crew."

Sora told, "All of my souls for eternity!" But wondered why he felt that he made a big mistake now.

Then Bill adds, "Three twos"

Jones smiled, "Four Fours."

Will remained stoic. "Four fives."

And Sora states, "Seven ones." The cups were lifted and placed back down.

"Six threes." Bill replied

There was a silence before Will broke it, "Eight Fives."

Everyone laughed at this.

"I welcome you and your friends to the crew!" Jones stated devilishly.

"Twelve fives," Bill stated everyone looked at him, "Or call me a lair."

Jones growled, "I'll call you a lair for the trouble!" he snapped, pulling up all the cups Will hadn't lost but he hadn't won either, the same for Sora, but Bill on the other hand…

"Mr. Turner you are a lair and you will spend an eternity on this crew. Master Turner and Keybearer Sora, feel free to go ashore ….when we make port in the better part of ten years." Jones sneered as he and the crew left laughing.

"Wait! And what is with Roxas? He-" began Sora but Jones interrupted, "Is your Nobody! But no longer one of your souls! You and the other soul you have are free to leave like Mister Turner here!"

Then he left with a laugh. Now Sora knew the failure of his plan. Roxas on the other hand had a feeling this would happen… before he would tell that to Sora he asked Bill, "Why did you do that?"

"I couldn't let Will trade his soul," told Bill but Will answered, "It wasn't about winning or losing…"

"The key!" realized Sora. "You wanted to know where the key is!"

Later in the following night, Sora, Roxas, and Will began to sneak up while Bill pretended to take over the watching post over the Captain's orders. Once the guard was gone, the three moved to the door to the Captain's chamber. Roxas stood outside to watch out while Will and Sora sneaks in. They found Jones sleeping on a organ and carefully moved over to him. They took a few sticks and began to move his tentacles out of the way. Will accidentally let a tentacle slip, which hits the organ, causing a few tones but the song of small music box played a small tune and he fall asleep again. Sora and Will continued and replaced the key with the pergament that Will had from Jack. Once they are sure that Jones didn't detected them, they sneak out and prepared to leave with one of the ships boats. Sora tries to convince Roxas to come with them but Roxas countered, "I am still bound thanks to your friend Jack! However, it's important you get away! Don't think about me."

Bill on the other side gave Will a small knife with the words "Now, get yourself to land, and stay there. It was always in my blood to die at sea. It was not a fate I ever wanted for you."

"It's not a fate you had to choose for yourself, either." Replied Will and Bill added, "Aye, I could say I did what I had to, when I left you to go pirating. But it would taste a lie to say it wasn't what I wanted. You owe me nothing, Will. Now go."

"But they will know that you two helped us!" interrupted Sora but Roxas shrugs. "What can they do to us? Bill here is already serving for all eternity and I am only your nobody. So it can be assumed you had forced me."

Sora didn't believe what Roxas just said: Forcing his Nobody to help?

"I'll take this with a promise!" began Will while holding the knife up. "I'll find a way to sever Jones' hold on you, and not rest until this blade pierces his heart. I will not abandon you. I promise."

After that Will and Sora left the ship and got into distance as fast as they could on board of this small boat.

On the next morning they were found and picked up by a cargo ship. While they were still wrapped up in blankets the Captain told them, "Strange to come upon a longboat so far out in open water."

"Just put as many leagues behind us as you can. As fast as you can," told Will and Sora drank whatever is in the cups they gave them after picking up from the longboat.

"And what are we running from?" asked the Captain of the ship and Sora was about to answer as Will suddenly asked, "That dress. Where did you get it?"

Sora looked and saw a yellow dress and wondered why Will was interested in this dress.

"It was found aboard the ship. The crew thought it was a spirit bringing some omen of ill-fate."

"That's foolish," told a crewman and another agrees, "Yes. Exceedingly foolish."

"It brought good fortune," explains the Captain. "The spirit told us to pull in at Tortuga and we made a nice bit of profit there."

With that, Will turns around. "I imagine some of your crew may have jumped ship there."

Before Sora could ask why Will was asking that, a crewman called, "Captain! A ship's been spotted."

They all went out to see what ship appeared and Sora turned white as he recognized it… the Flying Dutchman!

While staring at the ship they suddenly heard a boom in the water and wondered what this means. But now tentacles appear and began to grab parts of the ship and crewman. They fought against this monstrous enemy but without any prevail. Sora and Will only tries to not get caught by the tentacles while two large ones appeared and smashed the ship in two pieces. Many of the crewman of this ship were eaten by the Kraken. Sora and Will managed to climb up on a side of the Flying Dutchman. They looked on the deck of the ship but only to see how Davy Jones announces there weren't any survivors and the only survivors are killed by Davy Jones crew. Sora and Will went hiding in the maw that serves the Flying Dutchman as a figurehead. However, they still learned that the ship moves to the place where the chest lies.

Aboard of the Black Pear everybody could see that Elizabeth and Sparrow were talking with each other and Kuran assumes the pirate tries to get the woman to a close relationship. Lea on the other hand wasn't interested in this… more how long it would take until he can burn him.

Then they could see that Elizabeth drank a bottle of rum that Jack offered even though they heard from Gibbs that she hates rum and wouldn't refrain from burning it. Later on they spot land and the ones that left the ship were Elizabeth, Riku, Jack, Lea, Kuran, and Norrington. They followed Elizabeth's lead until the compass didn't show a straight line anymore. She cursed and threw the compass on the ground, telling, "This doesn't work. And it certainly doesn't show you what you want most."

Jack disagrees and said, "Yes, it does. You're sitting on it."

With that they began to dig until they found a chest. They pulled it out and it looked like a normal chest. Riku could even open the lock on it but as they opened it they found a lot of stuff, mainly letters in there. However a second chest was in it and as Riku tried to open it… he was catapulted away by an unknown force and Kuran asked, "When the Keyblade doesn't work, how should we get this thing open? Not to mention it's freaky to hear a heartbeat inside of this thing."

"You were telling the truth. That's surprising," told Norringthon and Jack replies, "I do that a lot. Yet people are always surprised!"

"With good reason!" told Will and everybody turned around in surprise but were glad to see him and Sora.

"How did you get here?" asked Jack and Will answered, "Sea turtles, mate. A pair of them, strapped to my feet."

Sora looked confused and wanted to object but Jack interrupts by telling, "Not so easy, is it?"

"But I do owe you thanks, Jack." Told Will. "After you tricked me and Sora onto that ship to square your debt with Jones, I was reunited with my father."

"And I saw Roxas again," told Sora and Lea asked, "What? Roxas? Where is he?"

"Still on the Dutchman," told Sora sadly. Will went to the chest and took knife and key out and Jack asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to kill Jones." Told Will and Jack pulls his sword, telling, "Can't let you do that, William. Cos if Jones is dead, who's to call his terrible beastie off the hunt, eh?"

"In this case I kill you for bringing Roxas into the situation!" told Lea while pulling his Keyblade out and holds it at Jack. Norringthon held his sword out as well. "I can't let you do that either. So sorry! Lord Beckett desires the content of that chest. I deliver it, I get my life back."

"Dark side of ambition," sighs Kuran and Norringthon countered, "I prefer to see it as the promise of redemption."

Will pulled a sword from Kuran, who had got one for himself to hide his ability to call his own ones from the other pirates and told, "I have a promise to keep!"

Kuran shook his head. "Can we clear this later?"

The four, however, didn't listen and began to fight each other. Kuran shrugs and asks Sora, "I'll take you came with the Flying Dutchman, which happens to be close."

"How did you know?" asked Sora and Kuran told, "This 'Will' looks like he would go the straight way to come here, and you're not smart enough to get distance between you and pursuers!"

"Yeah! Even though you two just met, you see through Sora very well!" told Riku and Sora just realized a part of the said stuff. "Who are you?"

"Kuran… and there is nothing more to know!" told Kuran while looking at the four fighters and Elizabeth looked disappointed while calling a few nasty things after them. The four fighters disappeared into the forest on the island and Kuran suggests, "We should leave as well"

"Why?" asked Elizabeth and watches in surprise as three knives appears with a dark mist in Kuran's hand. "Simple! We got nasty company!"

Then he threw the knives and on the first glance somebody would think he aimed at Sora or Riku, but the knives passed through the space between them and hit instead a crewman of the Flying Dutchman in the chest, killing him in the process.

Sora and Riku saw the result and each grabbed a side of the chest while running to the forest, followed by Elizabeth and Kuran, who had called one of his blades into his free hands while sending a second trio of knives at the pursuers, but only one hit an arm while the rest missed.

Back to the four fighters:

They reached the ruins of a church where Jack and Norringthon are running up the chairs of what remains from the tower and Will grabbed -like Lea- the cords of the bells as Jack falls down getting pulling up, starting to battle him. Lea has started to fight for the key as well to trade the heart in for Roxas. However, the action caused the bell to ring and will of course draw attention in.

During the fight they came to a different section and as they came on the old water wheel, it broke off. And due to the circumstances they got on different parts of the wheel. Norringthon and Will fought on the top of it while Lea fights against Jack in the inside, still fighting to gain the key and/or kill each other. Also, thanks to a talk from Jack about how it was Will's fault that Norringthon was in the mess, the former commodore decided to kill Will as well. However, since Jack and Lea weren't paying attention, the metal bars of the wheel hit them and they fall down.

Some minutes later, Sora, Riku, Elizabeth and Kuran were still running away but stopped… as they saw Will and Norringthon fighting on a water wheel while Jack and Lea runs after them, crossing their blades on the way.

Kuran looked at the other three and asked, "Is… this normal?"

"For Jack? Yes!" told Elizabeth while Riku answered, "With Sora around? Yes!"

Kuran just made a sound of understanding before they were running again, but this time in the direction where they came from due to the fact that the crewman of the Dutchman came from the direction they intended to go.

Suddenly they stopped as they realized the chest was gone! They turned around and saw that Riku and Sora hit a tree with the chest that caused them to let go. Kuran looked and asked, "Please… can't you watch your way while running with such an object in your hands?"

Then he dashes in with two swords and began to fight against the crewman.

Jake and Lea managed to get inside the wheel again and clashes their blades at each other, but Will and Norringthon went inside as well, after realizing that Lea and Jack where inside because of the key. Now each of them holds a section of the wheel and each fought against one of the other depending on the position of the wheel.

The others were still busy fighting against the members of the Dutchman that one of the crewmen could grab the chest and left without being noticed… well… nearly unnoticed. Jack took notice of it and once he got the key, he left so fast that the three opponents couldn't get of the wheel fast enough and were now stuck inside of it in a wild ride.

Jack took a coconut and threw it at the crewmember with the chest, hitting the shell like head so hard with it it falls off. While the body searches for the head and crashed into a tree, Jack opened the chest and looked at the still beating heart of Davy Jones. However, he notices the fighting in the near and closes the chest again and left it there while he runs away.

Kuran and Elizabeth were holding the crewmen off for a moment to give Riku and Sora time to grab the chest and they rushed away as fast as possible while Kuran and Elizabeth followed. On the way Elizabeth asked, "Why don't you use the weapon on your back?"

"Reserved for special situations! And believe me! Until we run into a knight with a wolf head and lion mane, there won't be such situation!" told Kuran and Elizabeth said, "Then I don't want to know what will go on if this happens."

Kuran nods and they reach the beach where they left the longboat. Jack was already there and fought against one of the crewmen that somehow got there earlier. All keep fighting until they notice the wheel coming and stopped the fighting until the wheel stopped as well and falls on the side.

Kuran looked how the ones inside are slowly getting out, not having taken the ride well. Kuran shrugs and asked, "Well… before we continue: Why are we all fighting for this chest again?"

Riku began to point out, "The crewmen for recovering the chest, Jack to deal with Davy Jones, Norringthon to regain his honor, Will for freeing his father and us…"

The grey haired boy looked, "Why are we fighting against them again?"

"So Davy Jones won't get his heart back, so he don't have to be troubled to send his kraken pet at us," Sora points out and Elizabeth shrugs. "Sounds reasonable!"

And with that everybody resumes fighting again. Will got out of the wheel and began to stagger over to the others to fight while Norringthon staggered over to the longboat. And Lea… Lea took longer to recover due to the fact he and water doesn't mix as a pyro, but as he finally had his senses somewhat back, he notices Norringthon did something by the boat and staggered over.

With the time everybody was pushed back to the longboat and Elizabeth told, "We're not getting out of this."

"Not with the chest!" stated Lea and looks at Norringthon, "And three have better chances to survive with it!"

Norrinthon nods and grabs the chest while Lea grabs Kuran with the simple words, "Trust me!"

The three rushes off with the chest and the crewmen of the Flying Dutchman followed them. Sora looks at Riku and asked, "Will they be alright?"

"Thinking on what Lea can do and guessing that Kuran has a few tricks as well, I won't worry about them. Just get there so their stunt won't be meaningless." Answered Riku and the others agreed, getting on the boat and went as fast as possible back to the Black Pearl.

On the run in the forest tosses Norringthon tosses the chest over to Lea who stopped tracks and turns to the following crewmembers of the Dutchman and called, "Parley!"

Kuran wondered if Lea was mad while one asked, "Why should we give you a Parley?"

"I might try to find out if this chest can protect your Captain's heart from fire!" told Lea while his free hand began to show fire. The crewman looked at each other, not sure if this is a bluff or threat. So they decided to not take a risk and brought them to the Dutchman. Davy Jones, however, wasn't pleased and asked, "Why did you not kill them?"

"They asked for Parley Sir," told one, and before Davy Jones could react Lea said, "Let Roxas go and you get your chest back while I won't burn it!"

"Do you think you can treat me like that with your powers of the key?" asked Jones but Lea shrugs. "I don't need my Keyblade to use fire," and made a fireball to prove his point.

Jones glared but Lea continues, "Think of it! What is Roxas for you compared to your precious chest?"

Davy Jones walked up and down, thinking about his situation and if he really should let go of two souls for getting the chest back. "Would you willingly to become the Captain of the flying Dutchman just to free your friend?"

"Becoming Captain?" asked Kuran and Jones explains, "The Dutchman needs a captain! Whoever kills me is forced to become the next Captain and has to remove his heart."

Lea hesitates but keeps on. "Not a pleasure, but would be worth it!"

"Fine!" told Jones and extends his tentacle hand. Lea took it, even though it displeases him.

Roxas was called and looked in surprise. "Axel!"

"Hello Roxas! Nice to see you again! Now come, we have to go" told Lea and said to Kuran, "One Dark Portal please."

Kuran sighs loudly and opens a portal. With that, they left and Davy Jones laughed, "Fools! His soul will be sooner than later! And the other three as well! But first we have to deal with Sparrow!"

Back on the Black Pearl the crew did everything to get distance between them and the island they just came from.

"Good that you all made it free and clear!" stated Gibbs, but just in this moment, the Flying Dutchman emerges from the sea right beside the Pearl and Riku asked, "Did you have to say that?"

Jack, however, wasn't affected by the sight. Instead he holds his jar of dirt up and calls various things that gets on Jones' nerves. As it was enough, he ordered to fire and the Dutchman began to bombard the Pearl. In the process the jar of dirt broke and Jack began to panic since something seems to be missing. Riku realizes what is going on and asked, "You had the chest open and put the heart in it?"

"I thought I did!" told Jack and Will groans. "Now I know why the other three ran off! One of them had it!"

"I bet it was Lea or Norringthon. I cannot see how Kuran could benefit from it," told Elizabeth. "This guy doesn't have real ambitions."

"We have bigger problems!" told Gibbs and the Pearl went to get away from the ship. However, the Flying Dutchman also had on the front cannons and shot them. Worst of all, it was two sets of trios that shot like a gatling at the Pearl. Well as fast it was possible to rotate three cannons, fire one and rotate again while reloading.

However, due to the wind got the Pearl fast into distance, even out of shooting range. "She's falling behind!" called Elizabeth and Gibbs told, "Aye. We've got her!"

"We're faster then her?" asked Riku and Gibbs explains, "Against the wind, the Dutchman beats us. That's how she gets her prey but with the wind…"

"We rob her advantage!" realizes Will.

However, as they saw that the Dutchman gave up on following them, Sora realizes something. "Oh no!"

Before Sora could warn anybody it was too late… the water boom came and shook the ship. Will realized as well what was going on and called, "Get away from the rail!"

"Why?" asked somebody and Sora called, "The kraken!"

"Load arms!" called Will and Gibbs ordered, "Load guns! Defend the mast!"

Riku and Sora called their Keyblades and got ready for the attack. Sora told Riku how it went and the Keyblade master prepared himself for this.

Will ordered to prepare the cannons on the starboard side since it will attack from this side. During the preparations the tentacles are starting to rise from the water. Will called them to wait while the tentacles still were rising until… "FIRE!"

And all cannons fired, damaging the tentacles greatly, even rendering useless. Will stared while everybody cheered that they have to get from the ship but there are not enough boats. Then Will got an idea. "Pull the grates. Get all the gunpowder onto the net in the cargo hold!"

Then he hands Elizabeth a rifle. "Whatever you do, don't miss."

"I think we are the better plan since we can use fire spells," told Riku. "That might better than a rifle shot that might not ignite the gun powder."

"Then don't miss!" told Will them and Sora nods. "Sure!"

Everybody was rushing to get Will's plan in set but then he heard, "We are short-stocked on gunpowder! Six barrels!"

"Then use the rum!" called Riku and they stared in disbelief but Gibbs added even sadly, "Aye… the rum too…"

Also they began to move the rum in place as well. And no second too early since the kraken began to attack again, this time making sure that they couldn't use their cannons again. Then they began to heave the gun powder and rum up, while Riku and Sora got their keyblades ready. Whoever gets the chance once all is clear would cast a fire spell. What Riku didn't like is that Will was holding onto the net. But under deck was the kraken rampaging and now the tentacles attack as well.

One of the tentacles grabs Sora's arm in a way that he couldn't let go of his Keyblade. He grabs his Amulet from the Chronicler and hits the tentacle until he cut it and got free. He looked in surprise and found a second Keyblade in place of the Amulet. The guard of the handle was two thunder bolts while the hilt resembles ice and the head was a rock in flames and a dragon head shaped keychain in purple color was hanging from the weapon. Sora smiles and began to unleash several combos to get the tentacles in distance, saving his magic for the fire spell. Riku notices what Sora manages and decides to ask him later about it while slashing at every tentacle in reach.

However the tentacle destroyed parts of the ship and the net rocked, causing Will to fall and his foot was caught in the net. Now the man was struggling to get free while Sora and Riku are getting desperate, wanting to finally shoot their fire spell.

But they couldn't so long as Will was hanging on this net, even Will calls all off them to finally shoot at the bomb. Then Will finally falls off and Riku was in the best position to shoot the fire ball. He took aim with his Keyblade and called, "Fire!"

The flaming ball formed on the tip of "Way to the Dawn" and shot at the direction of the barrels, avoiding tentacles, which would have been in the way if Riku had shot the spell too soon or too late.

Each of the barrels began to explode, heavily damaging each tentacle that was in the way. With a howl it retreats and the survivors of the ship began to meet up in the center. Looking around Riku notices that there's barely enough people left to fill the remaining longboats.

"Did we kill it?" asked one of the survivors but Will shook his head. "Not likely!"

Gibbs nodded and said, "No. We just made it angry. We're not out of this yet. Captain, orders!"

Jack looked around and just said, "Abandon ship. Into the longboat."

"And the Pearl?" asked Sora but Jack told, "She's only a ship, mate."

"He's right! We need to get on land," told Riku and everybody prepares to leave the ship. They got any weapons they could get, but for some reason Elizabeth and Jack took their time and… only Elizabeth came!

"Where is Jack?" asked Sora and Elizabeth answered, "He elected to stay behind to give us a chance."

They accepted it and began to get away from the Pearl. In the distance they watched how the kraken began to take the Black Pearl into the depth of the sea.

They looked at each other and wondered what they should do. "I think I know where to go," told Will and they began to take course.

On board of the Flying Dutchman Davy Jones said, "Jack Sparrow, our debt is settled."

"The Captain goes down with his ship." Told one of his crewman. "Turns out not even Jack Sparrow can best the devil."

Suddenly Jones ordered to open the chest and as he found it empty…

"CURSE YOUR JACK SPARROW!" shouts Jones, realizing now that his earlier negations never mentioned his heart a single bit.

The remains of the crew form the Black Pearl returned to Tia Dalma, where they show grief over the death of Jack Sparrow. And inhabitants of the islands are singing a melody of sorrow.

Then Tia began to speak, "It's a shame. With the Pearl being gone with its Captain."

"And already the world seems a bit less bright." Adds Gibbs. "He fooled us all right till the end, but I guess that honest streak finally won out."

Then he raised a cup that Tia has given out to everybody and said, "To Jack Sparrow."

"Never another like Captain Jack."

"He was a gentleman of fortune, he was."

"He was a good man."

"A friend. An odd friend, but still a friend."

And everybody drank out their cups. After this is done Will spoke, "If there was anything could be done to bring him back…"

"Would you do it?" asked Tia and everybody looked at her while she keeps on, "What would any of you be willing to do, hm? Would you sail to the ends of this world and beyond to fetch back witty Jack and his precious Pearl?"

"Aye!"

"Aye!"

"Aye!"

"Aye!"

And it keeps on until everybody said they would do it. Then Tia spoke, "All right. But if you go and brave the weird and haunted shores of the world's end, then you will need a Captain who knows those waters."

With that, footsteps came down and as they saw who was coming, Sora gasped, "No way!"

In front of them was a large man with shoulder-length blonde hair, blue eyes, and a thick, wiry beard. He always wears an extravagant tattered black hat with a large black feather sticking out of it. A small medallion is visible hanging from his neck, and over his right shoulder he wears a brown belt decorated with many silver ornaments which holds the holster for his pistol at his left hip. He wears a black coat with dozens of buttons lining the front and cuffs over another, buttoned up coat that is comparatively more colorful, patterned in splotched orange and brown and lined with light yellow. Underneath this second coat is a faded white shirt, the collar of which is folded over the collars of both coats. Also he wears a gold sash under a black belt, dark pants, tan boots, and a brown, fingerless glove on his left hand.

This man was killed by Jack and Will once and hears to the name Barbossa. He asked, "So tell me, what's become of my ship?" Before biting on an apple.


	16. Chapter 16

The dark portal opened and Kuran falls out with Lea and Roxas. After a first glance Kuran groaned, "From all worlds we have to end up here?"

Roxas looked around as well and wondered, "Where are we?"

"Radiant garden," told Lea, "And it's really funny how we end up here! Even better since Even can have you now for a while."

"I hate you," told Kuran, "But we have a deal."

Lea nods and leads them to the lab in the castle, where Even greets them. He congratulates Lea for bringing Kuran, but was surprised to see Roxas again.

"I didn't think you would return as well! Fascinating! I have to research that as well!" told Even and leads them to the computer room. "Wait here! I just have to gather a few things before I start to experiment with you!"

"Why do I have the feeling that we are now his guinea pigs?" told Roxas and crossed his arms and Kuran shrugs, "I think we can always get out by-"

However he was cut short by an alarm sound and a voice told, "Warning! Unauthorized access! Warning! Unauthorized access!"

Somebody walks in who is very bulky and asked, "What did you do?"

"Nothing Lexaeus!" told Roxas, "It just happened!"

Kuran wanted to ask, but the computer voice now warned, "Malfunction in Laser Protocol! Malfunction in Laser Protocol."

"What kind of La-"began Kuran, but was cut short as a laser beam hit him and Roxas, slowly they both disappear.

Even stormed in as they were gone and asked, "Where are they?"

"Laser," was the only reply from Lexaeus and Even typed on the computer. "A malfunction in the digitalizing protocols… but they are not in the system?"

"Due to the error, the two digitalized Users are transferred into the dataspace of a different world. I have to find them first before recovering can be possible," told the Computer voice and Even said, "Then start looking Tron! I don't want to lose such wonderful research objects like that!"

In the meanwhile Lea went through a dark portal to visit a Game Corner in Twilight Town. He walks in and saw somebody he knows and greets him, "Hey XSDStitch! I thought you were writing on this chapter!"

"I thought I could use some time off to get a clear head…" was his reply and asked, "And you?"

"My part of this chapter is mostly down. Before the end of this I won't appear again canon wise so I thought I'd take a time off here as well and play a little Fix it Felix Jr."

"Sorry to disappoint ya!" told XSDStitch, "but the game is broken… Ralph seems to have disappeared. So I'll go try out the game Heroes Duty. It's relatively new and thought to give it a try."

"What? Ralph's gone? Oh well… Then I'll go over to one of the other arcade games here. I think I'll play a round of this new version of Heartless Shooter! It has, after all, a link to the Internet which updates to the world wide high score ranks."

"I see!" told XSDStitch and went to the game station of "Hero's Duty," getting his coin ready to drop in.

The coin dropped in and he took the game blaster in his hand, getting ready for the game play.

On the monitor he saw after the intro a blonde women telling him, "We are humanity's last hope. Our mission? Destroy all Cy-Bugs. You ready, rookie? Let's find out."

The game began and XSDStitch shot at the Cy-Bugs and wondered about this one character who runs around in panic and doesn't act like the normal game generated characters. Shrugging, he thought it as an in game joke and keeps shooting until the lady began to explain, "All right ladies, the kitten whispers and tickle fights stop now. The entrance to the lab is straight ahead."

Suddenly the odd guy called, "I'll meet you guys inside!"

"No!" called the girl, but it was too late… the doors were opened and a lot more Cy-Bugs flew out of the entrance and while XSDStitch shot at them the guy called, "I thought this was going to be like Centipede!"

The he blocks the players view and asked, "When did video games become so violent and scary? Please, get me out here!"

XSDStitch just stared at the guy and blinks a few times but suddenly he went out and the Cy-Bugs storms at the player and XSDStitch tried to get an aim in his surprise, but it was too late… "Game Over!"

XSDStitch put the gun back and shook his head while leaving. Then he stopped and asked, "Wait… wasn't that… Ralph?"

In the meanwhile Lea put a quarter into the Heartless Shooter and it was a simple game made like Crazy Chicken. The only difference is that different types of Heartless appear instead of the Chicken. Lea took the gun and shoots as the game started. He notices two people in the background and wondered if they would bring some points of he shoots them. He took aim and shoots but missed them since they moved out of shooting reach. He keeps shooting and reloading until he runs out of time.

With a shrug, he put in the next quarter and played again but the two figures were gone.

Kuran and Roxas were panting loudly as one of the game figures leads them to the car that would bring them into the Game Central Station. "Thanks! Never thought to get help from a Heartless…"

"Don't worry! It's not the first time that figures from the Internet accidently landed in here! Just don't go Turbo."

"Going Turbo?" asked Kuran and the Heartless just shrugs. "As long you don't go into a different game, you will be fine!"

"I'll take that! Thanks again!" told Roxas and they sat down on the train which brings them to the Station.

Once they reached it, they noticed it is very empty… well… except for a few figures where a shield was with following words "Game Unplugged". Kuran thought this might be the equivalent of having no job anymore.

"Now we have to wait until somebody shows up to pick us up," suggests Roxas and Kuran just agrees to that.

They wait in the Central Station and slowly it became evening and the arcade closes, marking the end of the working part of the day. Kuran and Roxas were talking with Sonic as they heard over from the Heroes Duty portal an odd noise. They saw a sort of space ship shooting around in the Central and also hits where the three were standing. Kuran was sent flying, Sonic lost his rings, and Roxas… was hanging on the tip of the ship right now, crying for help.

The ship crashed through the line of a game and crashed in the game as well as through objects until crash landing in a forest which ends on a cliff side. Roxas holds for his dear life the entire time and somehow climbs up the ship as the passengers were catapulted out. He looked at the direction of the catapulted people but heard a sort of sound and looked at the direction. From what he saw it looked like a race was about to start. Being the best clue of getting out, he began to find his way.

In the meanwhile Kuran was meeting up with a guy named Fix-It Felix Jr. and a Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun. He told them where Ralph disappeared to. Tamora just said, "Sugar Rush. Cy-Bugs would chew up that game faster than a chicken hawk in a coop of crippled roosters."

"What was that now?" asked Felix and Kuran wondered the same. And the harsh answer was, "What are you two, thick? There was a Cy-Bug on that shuttle!"

"I was busy trying to actually DODGE this shuttle," told Kuran, "So I couldn't look into the shuttle, not to mention I don't know what a Cy-Bug is."

"I can't say I do," told Felix and the Sergeant explains, "Cy-Bugs are like a virus. They don't know they're in a game. All they know is eat, kill, multiply."

"Why does it remind me of the Heartless… the real deal!" went Kuran in. Felix looked at him. "You dealt with real ones?"

"Yeah."

Tamora went on, "Without a beacon to stop them, they'll consume Sugar Rush. But do you think they'll stop there?"

"Nope!" told Kuran while Felix was so foolish to say, "Yes!"

"WRONG! Viruses and Heartless do not stop! Once those Cy-Bugs finish off Sugar Rush, they'll invade every other game until this arcade is nothing but a smoking husk of forgotten dreams."

"It'll turn out worse since one of the games seems to have an internet connection. With it they can spread worldwide and eat everything up. And if one of them accidently comes across a special laser, they will materialize in the real world." Told Kuran.

The two looked at him and asked, "Where did you come from?"

"Long story, but you have to believe me this: This laser is the reason why I end up here together with Roxas," explains Kuran and the sergeant just called, "Kohut! My cruiser."

The soldier tossed something over to her and it turns into a sort of hover board.

"Why is she this way?" asked Kuran and the soldier just told them, "It's not her fault. She is programmed with most tragic back-story ever. The one day she didn't do a perimeter check… her wedding day. "

"Let me guess… her husband was taken by these Cy-Bugs?" asked Kuran and the soldier corrects, "Eaten"

Kuran looked down. "I can understand her… lost a lot of important people myself."

Felix rushed over. "Wait, ma'am! I'm going with you."

Kuran followed as well. "I'll do the same."

"Like fun you two are. If you die outside your game, you don't regenerate." Was her reply, but Felix countered, "Well, neither do you, ma'am. And it is my job to fix what Ralph wrecks. And I cannot ask you to risk your life cleaning up his mess. No flex on this one, ma'am. I am coming along with you."

She sighs and made space for Felix and wanted to talk Kuran off due to the lack of space on her hover board, but they didn't see him.

Until he came with a hover bike. Felix asked where he got that and Kuran answered, "I borrowed it from a two-tailed yellow fox with red shoes. I told him I would need it for crashing a virus before it invades the arcade and he just hands it up over with the words 'Then take it and good luck! Don't forget to tell me how she is running… since it is my first prototype'."

"You seem to have trust if you sit your ass on a prototype that could blow up," told the Seargant and Kuran laughs, "No matter where I die, I wouldn't be regenerated since I don't belong to any game."

"Alright! Time to move out!" told Tamora and they move into the game "Sugar Rush."

In the meanwhile Roxas reached the finish line of the race courses and saw that the racers have taken positions and left their cars to stand in front of what seems to be a throne. Also he noticed that all the racers are small girls and their cars where made of sweets as well… must be something to do with the game's name "Sugar Rush."

A green sour drop began to hold the following speech, "Citizens of Sugar Rush… all hail our rightful ruler, King Candy."

And a man jumps out, which must be King Candy. He wore a purple tailcoat with a white vest covered in glitter, lace collar, and cufflinks. There were also two golden buttons on the back of the tailcoat. A notable feature would also be his red bow-tie, which resembled a candy wrapper. He also wore poofy golden pants and purple slippers with red gumdrops at the tip that jingled whenever he moved frantically and also a tiny, golden crown that is slanted atop his large head. "Hello, my royal subjects! Have some candy! Thank you for that stirring introduction, Sour Bill. And thank you to today's avatars. It was a wonderful day of racing. It was. But now the arcade is closed, so it's time to wipe the slate clean and race to decide our new roster. The first nine racers across that finish line will represent Sugar Rush as tomorrow's avatars!"

The citizens are cheering, "Race! Race! Race!"

"Okay, calm down. Listen! This event is pay-to-play. We all know this. The fee to compete is one gold coin from your previous winnings, if you've ever won, which I have. Let me go first!"

King Candy threw his coin into a mechanism and he got registered for the race. Then the shock came as a "Vanellope von Schweetz" got registered and Roxas saw that among the candy like cars was one that looks like it was made of garbage.

King Candy tried to calm everybody down and called for the security. One with a tall, slender, brown éclair, police hat and sunglasses, black belt and boots, and a golden badge. The other was a short, stocky, brown donut with white frosting, police hat and sunglasses, black belt and boots, and golden star badge.

Roxas wondered if they can be taken seriously, but this 'Vanellope' was now running away. Deciding it hasn't to do anything with him, he went to ask somebody about the way out as a green monster with different kinds of candy on it appeared and called, "You! Give me back my medal right now!"

The girl ran away once again and everybody did the same as the monster chased her. Roxas got in the way and called his two Keyblades since he was sure that this thing won't stop at anything and he didn't want to walk about until he found somebody to lead him the way.

King Candy gave orders to capture this monster and the Keybearer while they there clashing… well… it was more that Roxas got pushed away several times until a cupcake lands on the monster, leaving it unable to move. Roxas sighs but was suddenly sized by the donut who hits him on the head several times before he and the monster were moved away.

They were brought into a castle in which the interior was… pink?

"Which king has a pink throne room?" asked Roxas and suddenly the call came, "That's salmon!"

King Candy drove in with his white race car and parked it in the throne while ordering Sour Pill to de-taffity the monster. The green drop did like told and King Candy said shocked, "Milk my duds! It's Wreck-It Ralph?"

"Yeah. Who are you, the guy makes the doughnuts?" asked Ralph and Roxas shrugs. "From what I have seen, he is called King Candy and rules this place…"

"Thanks! But what are you two doing here? The villain of a 30 year old arcade game and a Keybearer?"

"I don't know how you know about Keyblades, but I am just lost here thanks to a shuttle that hit me," told Roxas while Ralph answered, "Look, Your Candiness, this is just a big misunderstanding. Just get me out of this cupcake, I'll get my medal, and I'll be out of your way."

"Your medal? Bad guys don't win medals," told King Candy and Roxas asked, "Is he even a real bad guy?"

"Hey! It's not my fault to be programmed to be the bad guy in my game," told Ralph enraged and Roxas just shrugged while Ralph answered to King Candy, "Well, this one did. I earned it over in Hero's Duty."

"You game-jumped?" asked Candy in shock and Roxas wondered if this is a bad thing while Candy keeps on, "Ralph, you're not going Turbo, are you?"

"What? No, no."

"Because if you think you can come in here my Kingdom and take over my game with the help of this Keybearer, you've got another thing coming!"

"What? Until today I never met this guy!" told Roxas as the guards surrounds them which were… Oreos?

"Easy, Your Poffiness." Called Ralph. "It's not my fault one of your children of the candy corn stole my medal."

"Children of the candy corn? Who'd…? The Glitch! The coin she used to buy her way into the race. That was your medal?"

"She did what? I need that back!" told Ralph and Roxas asked, "For what do you need a medal?"

"It's my ticket to a better live!" told Ralph but the King told them, "Well, I'm afraid I can't help you. It's gone, you know. It's nothing but code now. It will stay that way until someone wins the cup at the end of the race."

"So we just have to wait until the race is done and ask the winner to give the coin back to Ralph?" asked Roxas and King Candy laughs but Ralph just growls, "Listen, Nilly-Wafer, I'm not leaving without my medal!"

"You, you are! And this Keybearer will stay in prison! Wynnchel, Duncan, get him out of that cupcake and on the first train back home. And bring the boy into prison!"

"No way!" called Ralph and Roxas together and Ralph rolled the cupcake he was in and broke through a wall, followed by Roxas. The cupcake broke by the impact, but Ralph grunts in pain as Roxas lands on his back. Soon they were followed by the security that had something like dogs and went into hiding.

This was a chocolate lake which was not really Ralph's taste. They got to a track and Ralph mentions, "I have to get my medal back!"

"I just want the exit," told Roxas, but right now the racers of this game passed them on this road and Ralph rushed after them to ask about his Medal. Roxas just shrugged and goes after him, knowing that one of them could bring him to the exit.

The racers came to a place where Vanellope was with her "car" in the middle. "It's that little crumb snatcher," grumbled Ralph and adds, "Looks like she build it herself."

"Must be the case," told Roxas and stands up. The girls began to mock the blacked haired Vanellope and also break her car in pieces.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" called Raph and rushed over. Roxas sighs and came with him. The large muscular man chases the girls away and Vanellope just looks after them and views at the remains of her "car" and starts to cry.

"What are you looking at?"

"You're welcome, you rotten little thief," told Ralph to her and she countered, "I'm not a thief! I just borrowed your stupid coin."

"Borrowing means you asked him before which you obviously didn't," corrected Roxas.

"Who asked you?! By the way… this black coat sucks on you."

Then she turns to Ralph again. "I was going to give it back to you, as soon as I won the race."

"It's not a coin. It is a medal." Countered Ralph and Vanellope just answered, "Coin, medal, whatever. Just go back to your own dumb game and win another one."

"I can't. I didn't win it in my game. I won it in Hero's Duty," told Ralph and Vanellope asked with Roxas, "Hero's Doodie?"

"Not that kind of Duty!" countered Ralph while Vanellope began to laugh. "I bet you really got to watch where you step in a game called Hero's Doodie! What did you win the medal for? Wiping?"

"I doubt this is the case…" told Roxas while the little girl keeps on. "I hope you washed your hands after you handled that medal. One more, one more. Why did the hero flush the toilet? Say why."

"Why?" asked Roxas and she laughed, "Because it was his doodie!" she laughed and Roxas looked at Ralph who just shouts, "How dare you insult Hero's Duty? You little gutter snipe. I earned that medal and you better get it back for me toot-sweet, sister!"

"Well, unless you've got a go-cart hidden in the fat folds of your neck, I can't help you!" told Vanellope, causing Ralph to snap and he began to thrash around. Then he starts hitting a ball and Roxas said, "This is useless! This is a jawbreaker. You cannot break i-"

However, Roxas only jaw dropped with Vanellope as he actually broke it in half with his fists. She moved over to Ralph and asked, "Enjoy your little tantrum, diaper baby?"

"Leave me alone." Told Ralph but Vanellope just said, "Look, you want that medal, right? And I want to race. So here's what I'm thinking. You help me get a new cart… A real cart… And I'll win the race and get you back your medal."

"You want him to help you?" asked Roxas and she said, "All you got to do is break something for me. Come on. What do you say, friend?"

"We are not friends," told Ralph but Vanellope insisted and offered a handshake. After all she counts inm "My arm's getting tired. Do we have a deal or not?"

"You better win!" told Ralph and shakes her hand.

In the meanwhile Felix, Tamora, and Kuran reach the forest where Ralph crash-landed and she said, "Well, I'll say this much, they don't call your friend Wreck-It for nothing."

"True! I doubt that many could cause so much wreckage," told Kuran while flying a bit higher. "The shuttle is over there!"

"Is he in there?" asked Felix as the Sergeant checked the shuttle. However, from her expression Kuran guessed, "None of them is here…"

"Nope! Lucky for them! Or I would have slapped their corpses." Was her reply and adds, "Got to find the Cy-Bug before it lays its filthy eggs. She went over to a candy lake with a scanner in hand and said, "It came this way, but the sugar particles in the atmosphere are jamming my sensor. Can't get a read on it. So what is it with this Wreck-It Joker? Why did he go AWOL?"

"I wish I knew, ma'am. He was acting all squirrely last night… Going on about cake and medals… But I never thought he'd go Turbo," told Felix and Kuran said, "Before I ask you about what 'going Turbo' means… How are you treating him after the arcade closes down?"

"Why do you ask?" wondered Felix and Kuran said, "Perhaps he doesn't want to be the bad guy anymore

"Never thought about that! And about going Turbo… it's clear that you don't know." Said Felix and began to tell about a game character named Turbo in his game "Turbo Time", which was a very popular game. However… one day a new racing game came and got more attention than Turbo Time. Being jealous, Turbo left his game to take over the other and broke both games at the same time, causing them to be unplugged.

"_The selfish man is like a mangy dog chasing a cautionary tale_" told the Sergeant and Kuran agrees with her, also understanding now why Felix has to get Ralph back to his game. "Well… I saw a castle over there. I'm going to ask there if they have seen any of the ones we are looking for."

"That's a good idea soldier! We'll meet up later!" told the Sergeant and Kuran left for the castle. Once he reached it he knocked on the door and a green pill opens it. "Yes?"

"Excuse me! But I am looking for a few people… is there a big guy with big hands, a blond young boy in a black coat or a sort of bug?"

"Two of them have been here… but they escaped… a mistake that I won't repeat," told the drop. Before Kuran could ask what he means the ground under his feet disappeared and he falls into the deeps, finding himself in a prison. Since he already knows that Dark Portals won't work, he tried it as they came here, he summoned an axe and broke the door, going to look for an exit.

He found himself in a throne room and whistled at the odd coloration. Suddenly he heard somebody coming and he hides behind the throne. "What do you mean they escaped? I thought you could handle these two!"

"Everybody is looking for them your Majesty…" told a second voice and Kuran could see that the green drop and somebody who seems to be a king.

"Ralph was able to break free and this boy followed him…" told Sour Bill and suddenly a voice asked, "Are you so incompetent that you have to blame your underling?"

"Whaa!" cried the King. "Ma-Maleficent… it's a pleasure to see you again… how are your plans of overthrowing the worlds doing?"

"There is a change of plans… and for that I need you! I helped you to get control of this… game… now I want you to help me to get the data hidden in the Disney Castle."

"You want me to break into a computer? But-"protested the King, but the witch shouted, "Silence! You will obey me or I'll remove you and reveal to everybody who you truly are!"

The king jumped and nods. "A-Alright… I… I just have to handle a few things… the glitch, Ralph this Keybearer-"

"You have trouble with a Keybearer?" asked Maleficent and he nods. "Y-Yeah…"

"Very well! I'll come back tomorrow night! Better have it handled until then!" told Maleficent, but stopped. "It seems you have an interesting guest over there…"

"What do you mean?" asked King Candy and Kuran suddenly lost control over his body and moved on its own into the view.

Maleficent looked over Kuran. "Interesting… I never thought you would survive that long."

"What… do you mean?" asked Kuran and Maleficent smirks. "I made once a contract with your father Kuran Yamo."

"Yuma!" told Kuran, growling. "And what do you know about my father?"

"Simple… Yamo! Don't tell me that you change your name… you stay for me a Yamo even if you call yourself Yuma now. Let me tell you a little story. Here was once a father. This father had only one son who was weak… in his desperation he went to a witch. Saving the life of his son. The witch agrees and filled the boy's body with her darkness… saving his life. And years later she called the father into her service!"

Realizing who she meant he shouted, "You lair!"

"Look into your pitiful heart and look for the truth! The darkness I gave you may belong to you now but I can still control it!"

Kuran groans and glares at her. Maleficent laughed and told him, "One day I'll have usage for you! Don't die until then!"

With that she disappeared in green flames. Kuran got control back over his body and once he realized it he made a dash for the exit. Everybody else was too surprised for the sudden events that they couldn't react in time.

He got out and jumps on the over bike and shoots into the sky. King Candy looked after him. "Now I have more trouble. One after another!"

In the meanwhile Roxas, Vanellope, and Ralph were in the near of a facility made of sweets and is titled as Kart Bakery. They sneaked past the guard who was asleep and went to a door with the sign "No Glitches."

"All right, do your thing, knuckles. Bust it open!" told Vanellope. Ralph, however, protested, "What's this? You're a full-on criminal, aren't you?"

"Before we clear this I'll open the door," sighs Roxas, who still wonders why he is going with them. One of his Keyblades appeared and he used it to open the locks of the doors. "Less suspicious when it is open instead of broken open."

"Sounds reasonable…" told Ralph and they moved into the bakery.

"Where are the carts?" asked Roxas as they entered a dark part and Ralph adds, "What is this place?"

"You gotta make one!" told Vanellope and steps on a red bottom in the center of the room. Now several colored lights goes on, showing different base versions of karts and Vanellope looked at them, running to one and pressed it.

"What? Bad idea! I don't make things. I break things!" told Ralph and Roxas said, "I… don't know how to make a kart myself."

"Looks like you two are going to be stepping outside your comfort zone then Ladies." And a voice told, "Welcome to the bakery! Let's bake a kart!"

"Another game?" asked Roxas and Vanellope answered, "Yeah, well, it's a mini-game."

The voice told, "You have one minute to win it."

"What?"

"Come on you two!" told Penelope and they were in the first part… mixing! And to tell the truth… Vanellope was a nightmare! Ralph had to jimmy into the game to get the separation of trash and real bakery parts by himself and not the mixed up version of her.

In the next part they had to pump up, but Ralph broke the important part and Roxas tries to cover that with repeated fire spells. Somehow he managed to get the right heat for the required amount of time, but this was it. By the last part they had to decorate, but… they broke after the four wheels everything and all possible decorates was mixed into a mess.

"Time's up! Congratulations. You did it, and here's your kart!"

The car that came out looked like a mess and Ralph tries to excuse himself like Roxas, but Vanellope loved this cart much to their surprise. And she adds in. "Come on. A work of art like this must be signed."

However… the guard woke up by the smell of the smokes coming from the bakery and looked at the security feeds, showing that Vanellope, Ralph, and Roxas were in the bakery and called for reinforcement.

At this point the three were finished signing the kart by putting their names on, all three smiling. However Vanellope mocked Ralph by his smiles since it was the first time he did.

Ralph countered that he was gassy but they don't believe him. At this point the exit opened and King Candy jumps in and ordered, "Hold it right here, Glitch, Wreck-It Ralph, and Keybearer!"

Roxas shot an ice spell, freezing King Candy for a moment and Ralph called Vanellope to start the cart while the three jumped on, but… they learned that she cannot drive at all. So Ralph used his arms to accelerate forward while Roxas shot spells to keep their followers at distance. Once they were out of sight Vanellope led them to the wall of the diet cola mountain and they were about to crash. Ralph and Roxas braced themselves for this, but… nothing happened! They opened their eyes and found themselves in a cave.

Once they stopped Roxas asked, "You don't know how to drive but wanted us to get you a kart?"

"Uhm… yeah?" answered the little girl and Ralph keeps on, "What did you think? I'll magically win the race just because I really want to!"

"Look you two! I know I'm a racer. I can feel it in my code." Explained Vanellope and Ralph cries, "That's it! I'm never getting my medal back."

"Why do you need that medal anyway," asked Roxas and Ralph explains, "This may come as a shock to you, but in my game, I'm the bad guy and I live the garbage."

"Cool!" told Vanellope but Ralph counters, "No. Not cool. Unhygienic and lonely and boring. And that crummy medal was going to change all that. I go home with that baby around my neck and I'll get a penthouse. Pies. Ice sculpture. Fireworks!"

Then he groans. "It's grown-up stuff. You wouldn't understand," told Ralph and Roxas shook his head. "I think she understands better then you think."

"That's right! That's exactly what racing would do for me!" told Vanellope and Ralph asked, "Well, guess what?"

"What?"

"News flash! Neither one of us is getting what we want!" he shouts and hits the ground, which caused it to shake a bit and suddenly something exploded. Roxas looked and tells, "Ralph… you shouldn't shake everything… or you'll cause Mentos to fall into Cola!"

"Wait! What?" asked Ralph and went over and saw that the mountain was actually a volcano. A cola volcano.

There was a warn sign for falling Mentos and Vanellope threw something at the Mentos to prove the point. One of them falls into the hot diet cola spring and caused an explosion.

"That stuff is boiling hot. So watch out for the splash." Warned Vanellope and Roxas answered, "We got it! But where are we?"

"I think it's some sort of unfinished bonus level. Yeah. It's pretty cool, huh? I found that secret opening, and now I live here." Told Vanellope and showed them her sleeping place. Roxas wondered if she really lives her by herself and she explains that everybody says that she is a mistake and not even supposed to exist. Roxas knew this feeling… being not supposed to exist. And they also learned from Vanellope that she didn't leave the game since she COULDN'T leave the game.

With that, Roxas and Ralph looked at each other and nods, beginning to trash inside the cave. Vanellope protested that this is the only place she has but Roxas explains, "How should you learn to drive…"

And Ralph finished, "Without a track?"

Vanellope rushes to them and their training begin.

At first she always crashed into Ralph's legs. Then she crashed into a pillar that lands on Ralph's head and then she crashed so hard into Roxas that she flew at the Mentos and caused a couple of them falling while he was in need to be saved. Ralph threw a piece of candy at him, causing the Nobody to crash into the ground on the other side while the mentos lands into the cola, causing the known reaction and all had to jump around to dodge them.

However, she made progress and learned finally how to drive. The only thing that still caused trouble was her glitching, making her suddenly appear in different places. But Vanellope promised to get this under control. Later on they were getting ready to get into race. However, Vanellope rushed back to get something she had forgotten.

Ralph chuckles and just mumbled, "Kids."

However… they heard a car coming and as they turned around, they spotted King Candy coming to them. "Ralph! Keybearer! There you two are! Hello!" he laughed.

"You?" asked Roxas and got his Keyblades out but KC reasoned, "I come alone, unarmed."

However, he had to dodge a fire ball from Roxas and exclaims "We have had enough of you!" while Ralph storms towards him to attack the King. "Please. Calm down! Please, look. Don't!"

"We'll beat the crap out of you!" as Roxas got to the other side of the King, trapping him together with Ralph in one place. King Candy got a pair of glasses out and asked, "You wouldn't hit a guy with glasses, would you?"

Roxas and Ralph smirked at each other. Then the big bad guy took the glasses and hit with it King Candy, gave it to Roxas who repeats it.

After the King recovered from the hits he stated, "You hit a guy with glasses. That's… well played."

"What do you want, Candy?" asked Roxas while Ralph grabs him and Candy took something out and Ralph recognizes it. "My medal! But how?"

"Listen up you two! I give you your medal back while Roxas comes to my fungeon… after you heard my story," told Candy and Roxas said, "We'll listen to your story! But I only come with you if this story convinces me that I need to be in your fungeon."

"Well… do you know what the hardest part of being a King is? Doing what's right, no matter what. So I need your help… Vanellope cannot be allowed to race. So sad this is." Told the King and Roxas asked, "What is your problem with her?"

"I'm trying to protect her! If Vanellope wins that race she'll be added to the race roster. Then gamers can choose her as their avatar. And when they see her glitching and twitching and just being herself, they'll think our game is broken. We'll be put out of order for good. All my subjects will be homeless. But there's one who cannot escape because she's a glitch. And when the game's plug is pulled… she'll die with it."

"You don't know if this'll happen! The gamers could love her! And why should I be in your fungeon?" asked Roxas. King Candy sighs, "Because of your Keyblades. They are not supposed to be in a game due to their power. But since you are already here, you started to affect the game. While the effects are not seen yet, the game will slowly break to adapt to the Keyblade until… it's truly unfixable. But if you leave the break will happen in such a faster way that we need you here until we figured out how to fix it."

Ralph and Roxas looked at each other, not knowing what to do. "That is a tough choice… but heroes have to make tough choices sometimes."

"In this case the choice is easy! To not trust you!" told a new voice and as the three looked they saw Kuran landing with the hover bike.

"Kuran! What do you mean to not trust him?" asked Roxas and Kuran told, "This guy worked with a witch named Maleficent to take control over the game! Vanellope is a true part of her game. King Candy tried to remove her from the game and sealed the memories of everybody away!"

"What proof do you have for such outright lies?" asked King Candy and Roxas just said, "He won't lie to me! He is a friend of my best friend Axel! And if Axel trusts Kuran, then I can trust him as well!"

"For me it sounds like something was going Turbo here," told Ralph and looked at King Candy angry and Kuran adds, "For the provof… I asked a certain Pill not spill everything or…"

FLASHBACK:

Kuran was holding Sour Bill in above Pac-Man who was trying to jump to eat Sour Bill. The green pill cried, "I will tell everything! I will tell everything! Just don't drop me into him!"

FLAHSBACK END:

"Kuran… I never thought you can be so cruel," told Roxas, shocked. King Candy looks angry and snapped his fingers and several Heartless appeared who taken design on the environment like the Fat Guy looking like has made of candy. "Heartless! Destroy them, the car, and the glitch!"

With a laugh, King Candy went back into his car and told, "I would like to watch your demise, but I have a race to win!"

Roxas and Kuran took their weapons out while Ralph got his fist ready. They stormed at the Heartless and with Ralph's strong punches many were fast destroyed or punched into distance so they could take a formation around the race car in order to protect it. They did well, but Ralph saw Vanellope coming out from the mountain. "I am back! Did you miss… me?" she wondered as she saw the scene. Then she notices a fat body was jumping at her, causing her to cry in surprise and fear.

"Vanellope!" cried Ralph and rushed to her, punching the fat guy away, but due to the hole in the formation now, another fat body crashed the car and as Vanellope saw this she falls on her knees and began to cry, knowing she wouldn't have a chance of even driving a race anymore.

Kuran and Roxas finished off the Heartless but it was already too late… the car was destroyed. Ralph looked down. "I am sorry… I can really only break things… why did I even think I could be a good guy for once?"

"What… what are these things?" asked Vanellope while still having tears and Kuran said, "Heartless! Your fine King sent them. And it seems he wanted to make sure that first we wouldn't spill that he took over this place and second you regaining your position as driver."

"Regaining?" asked Vanellope and Kuran told, "From this pill I know you only need to pass the finish line during a race once to restart the game and take your position as rightful driver back."

"That means… I am a driver!" cheered Vanellope suddenly. "Now we only have to get a new car!"

"Won't work! Candy would make sure we won't get into the bakery!" told Roxas but Ralph just said, "We have to get Felix! He can fix everything with his hammer."

"Then we have to find him. He came here as well to find your Ralph," told Kuran but Sour Bill said, "He is in the fungeon right now. He came to the castle and I trapped him in here."

"Fungeon… got that! But… what is a Fungeon and why did you just tell it?" asked Kuran, making Roxas realizing that he was wondering the same.

Sour Bill replied, "Fungeon is a word play of Dungeon and Fun… and why I told you? If you found out he went missing somewhere here, you would have taken me again, threaten me again to get the information. I just thought I'd avoid that beforehand."

"Nice idea!" told Kuran and stuck Sour Bill on a Lollipop. "You stay here!"

With that they gathered the pieces and before they went off Roxas asked, "What did you forget?"

She took two handmade medals, made of out sweets and put them on Ralph and Roxas. "I made these for you."

"Thanks kid!" smiles Ralph and they were off to the castle. On the way were Heartless waiting for them, but while Ralph carries the remains of the kart, Roxas and Kuran took care of any Heartless that tried to interfere. They reached the castle and found the way into the fungeon. The guards weren't even trying to bother them since Kuran already broke some of their spears with his axe and they grew nervous as he took out a sword that was formed like a knife, indicating he might try a piece of them.

In the meanwhile Felix was sitting in his jail and notices that the bars of his cell weren't the best. He took his hammer out and tried to mimic Ralph with his catch phrase "I'm gonna wreck it!" and hits the bar… however they got fixed instead and even thicker. He cries, "Why do I fix everything I touch?"

However, the wall was broken suddenly by Ralph and Felix could hear Kuran asking, "Why didn't you let Roxas open up the door?"

"Because we got a little time to get everything fixed and her getting to the race!" told Ralph and turns to Felix. "Felix!"

"Ralph! I'm so glad to see you!" told Felix while jumping to Ralph's head and embracing it, but jumps off instantly and told, "Wait. No, I'm not. What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Before Ralph could even explain, Felix told, "Wait! I don't want to hear it. I'm not talking to you!"

"Fine!" told Kuran. "Then fix this go-kart up!"

"I don't have to do boo! Forgive my potty mouth!" told Felix and Roxas mumbled, "I heard worse things than that…"

"I'm just so, so cross with you! Do you have any idea what you put me through?" Felix went on, "I ran higgledy-piggledy all over creation looking for you. I almost drowned in chocolate milk-mix! And then… I met the most dynamite gal. She gives me the honey glow something awful. But she rebuffed my affections. And then I got thrown in jail!"

"Pull yourself together!" told Kuran, who didn't give a damn about Felix's rants now, but Felix just keeps on. "No! You don't know what it's like to be rejected and treated like a criminal!"

"Actually I do," admits Ralph. "That's every day of my life."

"It is?" asked Felix, realizing that Kuran's question about how they treat Ralph might have some true impact. Ralph answered, "Which is why I ran off and tried to be a good guy, but I'm not! I'm just a bad guy, and I need your help."

"You need to fix my cart! This is my only chance to get my racing place back!" told Vanellope, who came in now.

"Please Felix, fix it!" told Ralph. "And I promise I will never try to be good again."

Felix smiles and took his hammer out, fixing Vanellope's cart. They went outside the castle and realized that the race already started. Vanellope jumps into her cart and races off. Kuran got on the Hover Bike and told, "I will hold off everything that smells Heartless!"

"Alright! We'll meet you up by the finish line!" told Roxas and they split up. Kuran had a good deal to do with flying and racing typed Heartless, but managed to get them off from Vanellope. Roxas rushed with Ralph and Felix to the finish line to wait for Vanellope. They had told her that she only needed to get through the finish line, but she intends to win the race.

The first thing they had Vanellope and the other racers do was go in this curved, small canyon where boulders which appeared to be gumballs, rolled in the racers way. Since she did show up late, Vanellope was in last place, but to make things worse, one of the other racers got a power up and began to fire ice cream scoops towards the back. Thankfully, none of them hit Vanellope, since the person was aiming for people in front of her, but others were not so lucky. As the race continued to heat up, King Candy got a power of his own and got in fourth place, with Vanellope right behind him in sixth. She quickly avoided the gumballs however, and managed to hit a speed up maker, which made her in a higher ranking.

Then she told one of the racers in front of her, "Behind you!"

She passed her by outmaneuvering and told, "In front of you!"

The racers then all had to travel up a huge cupcake like mountain, where Vanellope caught up to three other racers, who knew she was the glitch and immediately began to panic. The leader of that group, Taffyta, then instructed one of the other racers to drive alongside the road, where his engine smoke lit up some cherries that blew up. Vanellope immediately noticed though and she sped up, avoiding all the bombs either by driving fast, or through her glitch. Taffyta then took her eyes off the road for a moment and turned to look at Vanellope, laughing. "I told you, you're just an accident waiting to happen!" She said.

"Come on! You can do it!" told Ralph who was watching the race on a monitor and Roxas said, "Show them what you got!"

As they continued to watch the screen, they watched the racers make it to the top of the mountain with the cherry bombs still going off around Vanellope. They then all rode into a tunnel, where the other racers where laughing at the glitch, but their laughing soon turned to screaming when they saw Vanellope glitch in front of them, causing them to spin out of control. They then all flew off an angled ledge, where they flew through the air and towards the other side of the track. But it looked like karma was out to get the three other racers, and they all fell into the gap between the track while Vanellope was the only one who made it to the other side.

As she continued to ride, Vanellope talked to herself. "Okay, got to keep it under control, no more glitching!" She said as she rode faster.

And all this time Kuran had his hands full with the fact that Heartless tried to invade the race. Ralph and the others then looked up to see Vanellope was in second place, behind King Candy. "Come on kid; let's finish this race without anymore—!" Ralph was cut off due to something hitting him in the face.

They looked and saw that Sergeant Calhoun had been the one who hit Ralph on the face. "Hope you're happy, junk pile. This game is going down, and it's all your fault."

"My lady, you came back." Told Felix, however…

"Can it Fix-It!" She then looked back down at Ralph. "That Cy-Bug you brought with you multiplied!"

"No, it died in the taffy swamp, believe—" Ralph was cut off once again by the loud buzzing coming from behind the stands. Everybody then all looked up to see hundreds to thousands of Cy-Bugs flying in the air. They all only looked at them as more came out from the large hole they were leaving in.

"Bull roar," Sergeant Calhoun said as she pulled out of her gun case a gun that matched her armor. She then ran towards the Cy-Bugs and began to shoot them with it, making them explode into the candy pieces that were over them. Roxas also slashed with his two Keyblades every Cy-Bug he could reach. Calhoun flew on her skateboard like hovercraft and flew above the people fleeing. "Listen up people! Head to Game Central Station now!" She exclaimed.

As soon as she said this, Ralph and Felix began to guide the people in the right direction towards the station. Ralph looked at the end of the race track and then over to the screen, worried about Vanellope's safety. Then the Cy-Bugs began to fly at the finish line and tried to eat it, but Ralph exclaimed, "NO!" and tried to stop them.

King Candy was still in first place of the race, riding as fast as he could towards the finish line. He was heading towards a huge ice cream like cave with no worries what so ever, but little did he know that Vanellope was coming up right behind him. Vanellope then passed King Candy, and she swerved out in front of him, much to his surprise. They continued to fly by, with King Candy trying to find every possible way to get around the glitch, but with no luck.

King Candy then looked to his right to see a 'Do Not Enter' sign that was heading downwards, and he decided to take that chance. He rode that way while Vanellope headed the right way, who was shocked when she looked behind her to see the King was not there. Vanellope then raced into the cave part of the ice cream and she continued to drive. Kuran, however, had to break away since he couldn't make it in the cave. But he notices for some reason no more Heartless are coming… until he learned why… Vanellope made it to a huge hill that she rode down that made her pick up more speed. But when the hill speed was over, she was shocked to see King Candy's kart appear in front of her. This impact caused King Candy's kart to go under Vanellope's while they were still driving, which made the King angrier than ever at the glitch. "Get off of my track!" He exclaimed.

"What are you crazy?!" Vanellope exclaimed loudly, trying to get out from under the King's kart, but every attempt failed. King Candy was now as angry as he could possibly be. He then looked down, seeing the hard candy that was used as the top of his gear and then took the candy cane he used as a cane. He then attached the two together and stood at the highest peak of the two karts.

"I forbid you to cross that finish line!" He said as he took the make shift staff and tried to whack Vanellope with it, and all she could let out was a gasp.

Back near the finish line, Ralph, Fix-It, and Roxas were fighting off the Cy-Bugs while Calhoun was rushing the people out of the game. Felix was the first to look up and see what was happening on the screen. "Ralph look!" He said worried. Wreck-It then looked up to see King Candy trying to beat Vanellope, and could only let out a cry.

"Kid!" Ralph exclaimed.

Ralph continued to watch the screen, where he saw King Candy try to swing at Vanellope. He was trying too hard that the window on her kart was beginning to fall apart. King Candy then finally succeeded in destroying her window, and was even closer to Vanellope, who was still crouched down in the seat of her kart. She knew she had to fight back though, so she grabbed on to the cane Candy was trying to hit her with. "Stop it!" She exclaimed as she held on to the cane, which was also causing her to glitch more.

"Let go!" King Candy exclaimed as he tried to make Vanellope let go. "I am NOT letting you undo all my hard work!"

Just then, Vanellope's glitching traveled through the cane, causing King Candy to glitch as well. But when he began to glitch, he didn't look like himself, he looked like another figure with pale skin and glowing yellow eyes. He had the yellowiest teeth to match his eyes and he wore a white racing uniform with a red stripe going down his helmet. The heroes fighting the Cy-Bugs only looked up at the screen confused, but then Felix realized who it was.

"Is that?" Felix said shocked, as Ralph then quickly caught on to what Felix was trying to get across.

"NO WAY!" Wreck-It said, even more shocked then Felix.

As King Candy, or Turbo, continued to glitch due to Vanellope holding on to the cane, he only pulled back to look at himself. "What the?!" Vanellope said as she crouched back into her kart. "Who are you?!"

"I am Turbo, the greatest racer EVER! And I did not reprogram this world to let you and that warthog to take it away from me!" King Candy, or Turbo, exclaimed and slams down on his pedals, causing Vanellope's car to turn on its side. "That's Turbo-tastic!" Turbo exclaimed as he continued to drive, heading towards a rock with a sign on the wall, planning to end Vanellope by slamming her into it. "End of the line, Glitch!"

Vanellope only looked out of her kart in horror, but then she realized something. "Glitch! That's it!" Vanellope then began to whisper to herself. "Come on, help me! I know you said you wouldn't do it again but you have to do it one more time! Just focus and concentrate and…" Vanellope then paused. "Glitch!"

Just then Vanellope and her kart glitched out of Turbo's way, getting back on its wheels next to him. He looked at her shocked before he rode after her, where she was cheering happily. "Sweet mother of monkey milk I did it!" She exclaimed as she rode out of the cave. She was now in first place! She could win this race if she just rode a little farther!

But however, King Candy/Turbo was not happy about this, and only rode after her. But right as he was about to ride out of the cave, a huge Cy-Bug landed in his way. Turbo then let out a yell as the Cy-Bug opened his mouth…

Vanellope continued to ride as she looked to see Ralph motioning at the finish line. "Come on kid! The finish line is wide open!" Ralph exclaimed. Thankfully, even though it looked like the Cy-Bugs were going to destroy it, Roxas managed to hold them off- for now. Vanellope continued to ride, but before she could make it to the finish line, even more Cy-Bugs began to burst out of the ground, one of the holes they were coming out of hitting Vanellope's kart. She then flew in the air, thankfully landing on her wheels, but sliding out of control towards a garden full of lolly-pops.

"NO!" Ralph exclaimed as he ran over to her, followed by Felix and Roxas

When they finally made it to her Ralph asked, "Kid are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine! Let's finish this race!" She exclaimed angrily, trying to get the lolly-pops off her kart. But when they looked over, they saw the Cy-Bugs had returned and were now destroying the finish line.

"Oh my gosh…" Roxas said, trailing off.

"Come on kid, we have to get out of here!" Ralph exclaimed, picking Vanellope up and running towards the entrance to Game Central Station with Roxas and Felix right behind them.

"But I didn't cross the finish line!" Vanellope protested.

"There is no finish line!" Ralph exclaimed. They then continued to run as the Cy-Bugs destroyed the finish line completely.

They then made it over to the exit of the game where Calhoun was directing everyone to get out of there.

"Move it or lose it, people. Everybody, out. Now!" Told the Sergeant as she continued to fire at the Cy-Bugs, with Felix staying behind to help as Ralph, Vanellope, and Roxas ran towards the exit. Vanellope protested, "This isn't gonna to work!"

"We got to try!" countered Roxas. However, when they got to the real exit of the game, Vanellope was stopped by a force field and couldn't make it through.

"Kid!"

"Ralph I told you I can't leave the game since I am a glitch!" Vanellope said, upset on the other side of the force field. Ralph would not give up though and continued to try and push her in the exit, but every attempt failed. "Ralph stop! It's no use!"

Vanellope then glitched out of Ralph's hands and landed on the Sugar Rush side of the force field. Ralph then bent down next to her and breathed heavily as Felix and the Keyblade wielders stood around her with sad looks on their faces. "It's okay Ralph, Roxas" She said. The heroes then looked over to Sergeant Calhoun and Felix, who hovered on the skateboard hovercraft and hopped off.

"That's everyone, now the only thing to do is to blow up this exit." Calhoun said.

Ralph then looked back down to Vanellope, looking like he was ready to cry. "Just go, go without me" Vanellope continued.

Roxas and Ralph then looked back over to Calhoun and Felix. "But what about this game?" Felix asked.

"Nothing we can do about it, without a beacon there's no way to stop these monsters." She explained.

Then Roxas notices something. "Where is Kuran?"

"Probably eaten by these Cy-Bugs if he was on his own out there!" told the Sergeant and got an explosive ready.

Ralph then realized something. When he and Roxas were training Vanellope to ride her kart, they trained in that place that was supposed to be a bonus level but was cut out due to delaying the game's release date, Diet Cola Mountain. This mountain had coke as the lava with Mentos hung above it. Even though the volcano like mountain was calm and would not explode unless Mentos fell in the coke, Ralph was about to change that. "Right, beacon!" Ralph said. "Stay with Felix!"

Ralph then ran over to the skateboard hovercraft that Calhoun was using and took it, beginning to hover off. "Let me borrow that thing lady!"

"Ralph, where are you going?" Vanellope said. "I got some wrecking to do." Ralph then flew off, "I'll meet you at the finish line!"

"Ralph, wait!" Felix exclaimed. Roxas on the other hand jumps on Ralph's back and told, "I won't let you do that alone! Somebody has to watch your back!"

"Alright! We're gonna wreck-it!" told Ralph.

They flew at the top of Diet Cola Mountain, landing on top of the Mentos covering. Ralph only ran over to the center of the Mentos covering of the mountain, in an attempt to hit it in the center. Roxas got his Keyblades out and smashed every Cy-Bug that came too close. However… he notices some shows features of Heartless.

"Oh no…" told Roxas, knowing what that means… the Cy-Bugs ate the Heartless, turning themselves into a mix of both.

As Ralph hit the ground, the Mentos began to collapse and only needed one more hit in the center with Ralph's powerful fists.

"One more!" Ralph said as he ran towards the center again, but before he could do anything, something came and hit him right in the face. He looked up and was shocked by what he saw.

"Welcome to the boss level!" A familiar voice said, causing Roxas to look and gasp at what he saw.

"Turbo!" exclaimed Ralph as he looked at the racer; only the thing was he didn't look too much like a racer anymore. He instead looked like a Cy-Bug, at least a few feet taller than any of them, with wings, and continued to flash between his King Candy and Turbo form.

"Because of you Ralph, I'm now the most powerful virus in the arcade! I can take over any game I want! I should thank you, but it would be more fun to kill you!" He exclaimed as he let out a monstrous laugh.

"I should thank you, but it would be more fun to kill you." was his next explanation while trying to claw Ralph, which was blocked by Roxas . Ralph tried to get to the center again; dodging the legs of the now Cy-Bug since his death here in this game would mean his permanent death. The same counts for the Cy-Bugs and Turbo, which was his plan. The Cy-Bugs have an instinct that leads them to a beacon if one is showing up, leading them to their own destruction.

"Get back here, little guy!" told Turbo while smacking Roxas away.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Turbo exclaimed as he tried to bring his claw down on Ralph, but Ralph managed to bring his fist up and flip Turbo over, making him closer to the center of the Mentos. "I don't think so!" Turbo said again as he came up from behind Ralph and grabbed him by the wrists and threw him once again. Then the Cy-Bug curled in and rolled over to Ralph and brought him down.

"I am not through with you yet!" Turbo said to Ralph, who was still in arms reach of him. Turbo then grabbed Ralph and flew higher into the air, far above the mountain.

"Ralph!" Roxas said as he tried to recover from the darkness attack. But all they could do was hopelessly watch Turbo carry Ralph higher.

As Turbo stopped as high as he could in the air, Ralph looked over to see Vanellope, Calhoun, and Felix backing away from the Cy-Bugs, trying to leave to Game Central Station, but since Vanellope could not leave, she was still inside of the game with the Cy-Bugs trying to get to her. "Kid!" He exclaimed, "Vanellope!"

"Look at that! It's your little friend! Let's watch her die together shall we?" Turbo said as he gripped on to Ralph, holding him in a way so he was forced to look at Vanellope. "It's game over for both of you!"

Ralph wanted to cry out to Vanellope, but he stopped himself. He then looked down, seeing that they were still right over Diet Cola Mountain. He then knew what he had to do. "No, just for me!" Ralph said as he managed to get out of Turbo's grip and began to fall.

Kuran on the other hand was busy slicing Cy-Bugs since he encountered the first one. Also he saw that a few Heartless were eaten by Cy-Bugs, making them harder to kill. While flying around and slicing Cy-Bugs he notices that Ralph was falling towards the mounting. As Kuran got in the right high he notices the Mentos on the top and got Ralph's plan. However… a large Cy-Bug was trying to reach Ralph from above and was getting closer, looking like he would catch Ralph before the later one could hit the mountain.

Kuran speeds up… or he would have if he had notices a Cy-Bug in time. He dodged it but it bit off a part of the Hoverbike. While falling Kuran tried to restart the damaged engine and hopes it would be soon work because he was falling towards the hungry mouths of Cy-Bugs.

"Come on! Come on! There is somebody I need to help! I have to get over there!" he cursed and slams a few times at the Hover Bike…

Roxas notices that a light appeared out of nowhere and as he looked over a few thousand Cy-Bugs were destroyed that looks like an explosion of light and darkness. He saw Kuran shooting into the sky with a bike and wondered where he got that.

Kuran looked excited as he realized that the Hoverbike must have gone though a sort of transformation somehow. It was now a black bike with a white tip in the front. On the lower sides were black wings while on the backside was a white large orb holding into place with black spikes and the same spikes goes also in different directions. Smirking at this, Kuran accelerates and the white orb on the backside glowed brightly before the bike shot off with Kuran. They raced at the large Cy-Bug and hit it before it could touch Ralph. From the surprised yell from the Cy-Bug Kuran realized, "One of them ate you Candy?"

"That's right! And now I am going to destroy you for your-ouch!" told Candy as he was interrupted by a hit from Kuran's fist.

"I am bad and that's good. I will never be good and that's not bad. There is no one I would rather be…" Ralph then paused as he looked down, seeing the medal Vanellope made him that said 'You're my Hero' and got closer to the Mentos, "Than me."

Ralph then hit the Mentos dead on, making every single one of them fall into the mountain.

However, this caused Ralph to follow the Mentos and Roxas was about to fall as well. But Kuran used the breaks to get Candy off from the bike and accelerated again with taking a turn that caused the bike to hits Turbo's face. Kuran shot down and called out for Roxas, who jumped on the bike with good timing. Roxas asked what they should to about Ralph and Kruan just said, "Wait and see!"

Ralph closed his eyes, but was then shocked, then they felt something hard make contact with them. When Ralph opened his eyes, he saw he was not falling anymore, and instead was on the front of a very familiar friend's kart. "Kid!" Ralph exclaimed happily.

"Don't worry! I got it under control!" Vanellope said as she sped up her kart and drove through the wall due to her glitch to safety. As they did this, the volcano went off due to the combination of Coke and Mentos, causing all of the Cy-Bugsto fly into the beacon. Turbo questioned what they are doing and was also soon affected by the Cy-Bug's instinct and flew towards the diet cola.

He regained his sense one last time to only cry in agony as he made contact with the Cola that killed him for good.

As soon as all the Cy-Bugs where gone, Vanellope re-glitched back towards the exit of the game, right in a river of melted chocolate. They then all stood in the river, trying to get it off of them. "Chocolate?" Ralph said confused, but was then happy. "It's chocolate! We are alive!"

"You did it Ralph! Way to go brother!" Felix said happily as he then looked up at Calhoun. Felix then jumped up and kissed Calhoun on the cheek, which she didn't seem too happy about at first. She then grabbed Felix by the collar of his shirt. "I'm sor—" Felix was cut off since Calhoun returned the kiss, only right on the lips, as they made out romantically.

Kuran and Roxas lands on the ground and got off to help Vanellope and Ralph out of the chocolafte and as they turned back to the Hover Bike… it was only a wreckage.

Felix finally had fixed the finish line of the race with his hammer. "All fixed!" He said once he was done.

Ralph then held on to the back of Vanellope's kart, which she was sitting in, and smiled. "Are you ready for this?" He asked her.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Vanellope said as Ralph then pushed her over the finish line. As soon as that happened, Vanellope flew up into the air and began to spin. She was then enveloped in light and her clothing changed from her normal attire, to a large princess ball gown. As soon as she landed, the entire land was then enveloped in light as well, and it all returned to its original glory. Even the other racers (who returned as soon as they saw the light) who were so cruel to Vanellope, looked at her shocked.

"Oh! Now I remember." One of the little green gumballs that was Turbo's old henchmen said as he ran next to her. "All hail the rightful ruler of Sugar Rush, Princess Vanellope."

The other racers then began to talk quietly, not believing they remembered everything.

Kuran whistled to Ralph. "You are friends with a Princess?"

"Wow! That takes a surprise" told Roxas.

"We are so sorry about the way we treated you." The racer, Taffyta, said.

"I was just doing what Taffyta told me to do!" Another one said as they then all began to fight about it, before Vanellope calmed them down.

"Hush, hush! As you're merciful Princess, I here by decree that everyone who was ever mean to me shall be…" Vanellope paused. "Executed."

"WHAT?!" The other racers then began to cry out in fear as this happened.

"Oh no!" Felix said.

"Oh, this place just got interesting." Calhoun added, Kuran nodding in agreement at this.

The other racers then where literally crying on their knees by what Vanellope said. "I'm just kidding!" Vanellope said, "Stop crying Taffyta!"

"I'm trying! But it won't stop!" Taffyta said as mascara began to fall from her eyes. Their laughter was then halted though when Ralph looked over to Roxas and Kuran.

"Thanks for your help," told Ralph.

"Anytime," told Roxas and Kuran said, "How is it to be a Princess?"

"What are you, nuts? Come on. This isn't me!" told Vanellope and glitched out of the princess outfit. "This is me."

All looked odd and she explains, "Look, the code may say I'm a Princess, but I know who I really am, Ralph, I'm a racer with the greatest superpower ever."

To prove her point she glitched controlled into different places and now everybody was laughing. Then one asked, "Pardon me for asking, but without a Princess, who's going to lead us?"

"Me. I'm thinking more along the lines of a constitutional democracy. President Vanellope von Schweetz." Exclaimed Vanellope. "Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Hey! The Arcade's about to open. Let's move 'em out." Explains now the sergeant. They said goodbye to each other while Vanellope and Ralph threw some insults out of fun to each other while going to the shuttle. Kuran and Roxas went on the bike that got fixed by Felix and they moved out of the game. Outside waited a man, albeit with light blue skin and covered from head to toe in grey armor. His armor is mostly seamless, the only distinct parts being his knee-high boots, small pauldrons, and what appear to be "sleeves" that cover his forearms only, not his upper arms or hands. He also wears a helmet vaguely reminiscent of a hockey helmet. The armor is covered in complex patterns of blue computer circuitry that glows bright cyan at times. A similar glow emits from his boots and "sleeves".

"Greetings user Kuran and Roxas! I have been searching for you for the last 24 hours." Told the man and Kuran asked, "And you are?"

"Tron! I am a program from Radiant Garden and the User Even asked me to find you after an error caused you to be here."

"Does this mean a goodbye for good?" asked Ralph.

Kuran shook his head. "I think we can see each other again! We just cannot tell when. But first…"

He rushed to the yellow fox he got the bike from and hands it back. "Thanks for letting me borrowing it! It really saved my life, especially after it transformed! But now I have to go! Bye!"

Before the fox can say anything, Kuran left and left the Arcade with Roxas by Tron's help.

The fox just stood here and looked odd. "Tranformation? I didn't build in any form of transformation! But it sounds good… perhaps I can build one in into the Tornado."


	17. Chapter 17

Riku and Sora were on the Gummi Ship and on the way to the next world. The brown haired Keybearer leans back and wondered, "Why did she send us off to find a Key of Darkness? I mean, we have two Keyblades so what is wrong with them?"

"Apparently are our Keyblades not enough," groans Riku. "She told us that a Keyblade of light and the Way to Dawn are not enough for the Gates we have to pass… whatever this means. Even I don't get smart from this woman."

"I hope we find this Key soon… I really want Jack back," told Sora and Riku asked, "Even though he sold you to Davy Jones? You are really a trusting one."

"Perhaps he planned that so we can get the key," told Sora and Riku just shrugs. "What's done is done, but don't expect that I will forget this."

Then Sora spots a world he knows well and told, "Riku! Let us go to the world over here! Bell and the Beast lives there!"

Riku looked over. "You mean one of the Princess of Light? I guess we can look over there… I just hope your friend doesn't try to rip me apart. After all, our last time isn't really making good foundation for friendship."

"Don't worry! I will explain it. You weren't yourself way back," told Sora. "I am sure Belle and Beast will forgive you."

Riku nods and pulled the Ship over to the world that contains the Beast's castle. They land by the front gates and walked indoors where Sora calls, "Hello? Is anybody here? Beast? Belle?"

"Belle isn't here… and the master is in his room, mourning about her absence," told a voice and Riku looked around. "Who is there?"

"I am here!" told the voice and Sora smiles. "Hi Lumiere! But what do you mean by Belle isn't here?"

Suddenly a candelabra moves to them, much to Riku's surprise, and even starts to speak "Mademoiselle Belle left us because of her father. You see, the master has a magical mirror that allows him to see what he wishes. He showed it to Belle who wishes to see her father."

"I guess her father wasn't in good condition that she had to leave for him," thought Riku aloud. "Better to see if she is alright."

"I don't want to bug you with our trouble, but… can one of you stay here? Because of his condition our master is right now unable to protect us and other creatures began to show up except the Heartless."

"I can think which creatures you mean," told Riku and turns to Sora. "Better you go to look for Belle. She will trust you and I'll try to have things under control here for now."

Sora nods. "Alright! Just be careful Riku!"

"Same to you! I know how easy you fall into trouble," replied Riku causing his friend to protest before heading out of the castle.

And Riku starts his patrol in the castle area. Sora traveled through the path to the village where Belle came from and only had some trouble with a few Heartless which shows up.

In the village Sora spots a mob by a house and asked why these people are here. One answered that they were here to bring Belle's father to the insane asylum and Sora reacts shocked, especially as he heard Belle's voice, calling her father isn't crazy.

But a short and obese man with brown hair, black eyes and large pink nose, who wears a dark brown trench coat with a red button-up shirt and a black kerchief called, "He was raving like a lunatic! We all heard him, didn't we?"

And the villagers agreed to them and the man asked, "Maurice, tell us again, old man. Just how big was the Beast?"

"He was… I mean, he was… He was enormous! I'd… I'd say at least eight, no, more like 10 feet!" called a man with half bald head with white hair with green eyes and thick eyebrows. He is also thickly mustachioed. Sora got through the villagers and called, "You know the Beast?"

"I was his prisoner! He is a monster!" called Maurice and Sora looked odd. "He might look odd but he isn't a monster. But why should you have been his prisoner?"

"Long story Sora! We have a bigger problem," told Belle and the first man called, "She is right! Maurice made even this poor guy crazy! We have to put both of them away before anyone else got mad!"

The villagers grabbed the two and Sora shouts: "Let me go!" while Maurice protested as well.

Sora then saw a slender man with black hair talking to Belle. She seems to refuse something and runs into the house. She came out and called, "Sora and my father aren't crazy and I can prove it!"

Then she held in front of her a mirror, whispering something, and with a flash the roar of the Beast could be heard while the mirror showed the Beast.

One of the Villagers asked, "Is he dangerous?"

"No, no, he'd never hurt anyone." Told Belle. "Please, I know he looks vicious but he's really kind and gentle. He's my friend."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you had feelings for this monster."

"He's no monster, Gaston. You are!" countered Belle and then held the mirror from her with the words "She's as crazy as the other two!"

Then he talked to the villagers. "The Beast will make off with your children. He'll come after them in the night!"

And while Sora and Belle protested about this Gaston keeps on, "We're not safe till his head is mounted on my wall! I say we kill the Beast!"

Then a man stated, "We're not safe until he's dead." And another stated, "He'll come stalking at night."

A woman held her child while speaking, "Set to sacrifice our children to his monstrous appetite!"

"He'll wreak havoc on our village if we let him wander free."

And Gaston began to sing, "So it's time to take some action, boys!"

"Yeah!"

"_It's time to follow me!_" sung Gaston and set a hay stack at fire by throwing a torch at it, then continues to sing:

_Through the mist, through the woods_

_Through the darkness and the shadows_

_It's a nightmare, but it's one exciting ride_

_Say a prayer, then we're there_

_At the drawbridge of a castle_

_And there's something truly terrible inside_

_It's a beast!_

_He's got fangs_

_Razor sharp ones!_

_Massive paws, killer claws for the feast_

_Hear him roar!_

_See him foam!_

_But we're not coming home 'til he's dead_

_Good and dead!_

_Kill the Beast!_

"No! I won't let you do that!" called Sora and Belle adds, "You have no right to harm the Beast!"

"If you are not with us, then you are against us! Bring the old man!" told Gaston, and the Villagers grabbed the three and threw them into the cellar of Belle's home and closed it up while Gaston explains, "We can't have them running off to warn the creature. We'll rid the village of this Beast. Who's with me?"

"I am! I am! I am!" the mob members are shouting and began to sing

_Light your torch!_

_Mount your horse!_

Gaston got on a horse and sung, "_Screw your courage to the sticking place!"_

And the mob continues while starting under Gaston's lead to head to the castle.

_Through a mist, through a wood_

_Where within a haunted castle_

_Something's lurking that you don't see ev'ry day!_

_It's a beast!_

_One as tall as a mountain_

_We won't rest 'til he's good and deceased_

_Sally forth!_

_Tally ho!_

_Grab your sword!_

_Grab your bow!_

_Praise the Lord and here we go!_

"We'll lay siege to the castle and bring back his head!" called Gaston and a figure on their way told them, "And I will provide you with help!"

"Who are you?" asked Gaston and the figure told, "I am only a servant of the Light! The Beast must be a monster of the Darkness that you want to defeat it! I will help you with the Light Bringers!"

With that, several golden glowing animals with halos are appearing but went along with the man instead of attacking the man. Gaston called, "God has blessed us with his holy creatures! He wants us to kill the Beast! To the Beast!"

Back with Belle, Sora, and Maurice is Belle trying to open the cellar with a stick telling, "I have to warn the Beast!"

"Then let me help you!" told Sora but looked. "Uhm… where is the lock?"

Outside a window was a cup moving and seems to spot something, hopping towards the object.

Back to the mob, the villagers and the Lightbringers are still moving towards the castle and the villagers sung

_We don't like_

_What we don't understand_

_In fact it scares us_

_And this monster is mysterious at least_

_Bring your guns!_

_Bring your knives!_

_Save your children and your wives_

_We'll save our village and our lives_

_We'll kill the Beast!_

And on their way they cut a tree down and prepared it to ram any closed doors open and it started to rain with thunder roaring through the sky. Riku just finished his tour through the castle, avoiding the room of the Beast and looked out of the window as he notices the rain, but he also notices that some lights couldn't be from the lighting. After a closer look he called for the servants of the castle and told them, "We are under attack!"

"What?" asked Cogsworth and he went to the window with Lumire. "Sacre Bleu!"

"Encroachers!"

"Warn the Beast! I'll get to the country yard and close both doors up with the Keyblade and try to hold position as long as possible!" told Riku and rushed out, sealing the door behind him while closing up the other door in the courtyard, not even feeling bothered by the rain at the current situation. Unknown to him, the castle ware gathered to form the other defense line. And they sung to it

_Hearts ablaze_

_Banners high_

_We go marching into battle_

_Unafraid although the danger just increased_

The villagers reach the door, preparing to hit the first one with the tree. They sung

_Raise your flag!_

_Sing the song!_

_Here we come, we're fifty strong_

_And fifty villagers can't be wrong_

_Let's kill the Beast!_

And they ram the tree at the door several times, singing by each hit _Kill the Beast! _And as Riku saw that the door began to weaken even with the Keyblade Seal he put on it, he called his Keyblade… or better term Keyblades! He finally found out how to call Burning Heart and he knows that he needs the two blades to attack the invaders. And the door broke open.

The villagers looked at Riku and the Keyblade Master called, "If you want into the castle, then you have to get through me!"

"He is a slave of the Beast! We have to hold him as long the Beast lives or else he will kill us in his name!" called Gaston and at these words the Lightbringers began to attack Riku. He defended against the different animal typed Light creatures, however the villagers walked past him and began to ram the other door with the tree. Riku got some distance before he unleashes a Blast spell to wipe out as many Lightbringers as possible, but after the blast a bear like Lightbringer shows up and it was three times larger than a normal bear. Gritting his teeth, Riku held the two blades up. It won't be easy since several aerial typed Lightbringers are supporting it.

In the meanwhile Sora was still trying to get the door open but he didn't find a keyhole he could use nor he had by this door enough space to move his Keybalde for a smash. Suddenly he heard a clicking noise and the door opened. Sora looked who opened the door and called, "Kairi!"

"Sora! Glad to see that you are alright! But why didn't you tell me you have a cup as friend?"

"A cup?" asked Sora and indeed a cup hopped into view. "Chip! What are you doing here?"

"He came with me since he wondered why I was leaving," told Belle, "But we have to get to the Beast and warn him."

"Let us help you out first," told Aqua who came into view. She looked at Belle and told, "Hello Belle, I am Aqua! Kairi told me about you."

"Bon Jour!" told Belle. "I am Belle and this is my father."

Aqua nods and helps them out. Belle and Maurice prepared their horse and one of the carriages of the village.

"A Princess of Hearts holding a Keyblade… what a shame how low this universe has become," told a voice and Aqua called, "Who is there?"

A figure stepped out of the shadows and it was… a person in a large body with the head of a wolf and it shows the mane of a lion. While the face was black like night, the mane shines in a bright white and the armor was golden with designs of the sun. It roared, "I am here! The Defender of the Light, Maluz!"

"So Maluz! What do you want here?" asked Sora and Maluz answered, "I am here for my task to destroy all Keyblades! They are the reason why the original world of Light broke! And they will be the doom of the universe if they are not stopped in time! Even if you are warriors of Light, the whole existence of the Keyblades will only cause a repeat of the tragedy!"

"You cannot know if destroying the Keyblades will hinder such catastrophe," countered Kairi and Aqua adds, "You cannot doom everybody because they have a Keyblade."

"If this is your belief then I have no other choice!" told Maluz and draws his sword. Kairi, Sora, and Aqua called their Keyblades into their hands and got ready.

Sora was the first to move and stormed at Maluz, who in return blocked Sora's swing and used the started movement to get enough momentum to attack Sora with an upward slash. Sora got his Keyblade in a blocking position in time, but alone the force behind the slash made Sora fly back.

"Sora!" called Kairi and rushed to him while Aqua fired a Triple Firaga at their opponent. Maluz casted Reflega to block the fire balls and called, "Shining Freeze!"

An ice crystal shining in a bright light shot at Aqua and she jumped to dodge it, but it was a homing attack so it followed her movement and hit her legs, freezing them while causing a lot of pain at the Keyblade Master. The creature rushed at her, raising his blade but changed his body stance and the way he holds his blade at the last moment to block a fire spell from Kairi, but was surprised as he got hit by a Thunder from Sora followed by an Ars Arcanum.

Maluz stepped back at the hits but shocked Sora by the fact that this Keyblade Hunter was only scratched on the armor. His shocked state only last for a few seconds as he was thrown into the air by a Light version of Aeroga.

Kairi had used another Fire spell but this time on Aqua's frozen legs to free her while Sora attacked Maluz. She got Aqua free and not a second late since Aqua grabbed her and jumped with her away as the blade of Maluz hit the ground on the spot where they had been.

Then he lifts his blade and pointed it upward and Kairi could see that Sora was falling towards the blade. Aqua realized it as well and casts with Kairi a combination of Blizzard and Thundaga shots, bringing Maluz out of balance for a moment and Sora used this to hit Maluz head with a Strike Raid.

Maluz roared by this direct hit and holds his head in pain. The three Keybearers now saw an attacking chance and rushed with their best attacks. Sora with Salvation, Aqua with her finisher Teleport Spike, and Kairi, due to her inexperience, used Light Edge, a variation of the Edge attacks, which used the light.

Maluz staggered back from these attacks but he grabs his blade which now shined brightly as he took it and slams the blade into the ground. With that, a pillar of light hits the battle field and the three Keybearers were slammed into the ground and were in a terrible shape after the end of the attack.

Maluz walked towards the three and told, "You gave a good battle, but you cannot change the course of destiny! Your end is brought by my hands. I am sorry, Princess of Heart, since I wouldn't have to do that if you haven't chosen to take the blade."

Kairi looked in fear at him, but suddenly horse cry was heard and Maluz was knocked over by a brown horse that stormed in with a carriage tied on it.

"Are you three alright?" asked Belle and Sora answered, "Thanks Belle! We owe you something!"

Belle helped the three to get on the carriage and once they were in, Maurice called "Ho!" and the horse began to rush out of the village. Maluz stood up after recovering from the hit from the horse and asked, "Why is the second Princess of Heart so foolish to help the Keybearers?"

He may not get them this time, but he knew that the Beast won't exist anymore after this day. And the Lightbringers will fight against them. Due to the foolish belief of the villagers, the Lightbringers were sent by God, they would also attack the Keybearers once realizing that the woman and the two teenagers are enemies of them.

With that he left this world, in believe he has other worlds to free from darkness.

In the meanwhile Riku still had his hands full against this bear like Lightbringer and its support. He managed to kill a good number of these aerial creatures, but killing the bear isn't easy. The only weak point is the head. It slashes and stomps with its paws and randomly shoots light pillars on the ground or roars so loud that Riku was pushed back. Or in other words, this thing is the light equivalent of a Darkside and Groundshaker hybrid. And also the other sealed door was slowly breaking from the constant ramming of the villagers at it and the Lightbringers helping them.

Riku jumped again to dodge a stamp on the ground and jumped again to escape the shockwave. Then he aimed at the head of the beast and shot a Mega Flare at the head, causing a lot of damage and all aerial Lightbringers which happened to be in the way were wiped out. However, it wasn't helping as new just ones emerged and Riku groans, "How much more until we got that?"

He got into pose again and cursed that he didn't pay more attention to the magic lessons. He absolutely needed a strong magical hit on this beast or a way to get close to the face.

Then he had a mad idea: He casted on himself Zero Gravity and flew up, once he was above the beast he broke the spell and timed his momentum to start a Dark Splicer and finished it with a Meteor Spell. The bear like Lightbringer falls on the ground and Riku rushed to the head, and attacked it with everything he got. Then suddenly the bear jumped back on the feet and roared loudly while shining brightly and exploded into thousands of light sparks which turned out while floating to the ground.

The feeling of victory was short lived as he heard that the door gave in and the villagers moved into it. He rushed with the two Keyblades in hands at them, quickly dispatching any Lightbringer in his way and stopped as he saw an awkward scene: The villagers got beaten up by the castle ware… Riku was already found it odd that the inhabitants of the castle were all turned into different objects… but the sight of, for example, a chest gulping down a villager froze his brain.

Or what's confusing is… one of the villagers got caught by a wardrobe and after some rumbling it came out with a complete different design: Orange towered hair in at least the same size of the man with a green bow with a purple bra, arm-long purple gloves, pink panties, and also wearing green high heels and a green ballerina tutu. Additionally was a pearl necklace and star formed ear rings. The man looked at himself for a second before screaming and running off.

With a simple shrug, Riku rushed at the closest of the villagers and hit him with his Keyblades, but after a few minutes of fighting, Burning Heart disappeared and Riku assumed that the Keyblades coming from the amulets can be only hold for a limited time period, added to the fact he cannot summon it back right now, it might not possible to use it again for a while.

Right now Lumiere was in trouble since a villager tried to melt him with a torch, but Cogsworth showed up with a gun in one hand, a pair of scissors in the other and wears a bicorn on the head while wearing a sash.

He jumps on the banister while holding out the scissors after seeing Lumiere in trouble and rams with the momentum of the scissors into the ass of the villager. He jumped in pain and rushes off.

Belle reaches the castle with her father and her friends. Once they were there, Sora jumped out and saw the fight, calling his Keyblade and rushes in. Aqua looked after him and asked, "Is he always rushing? We are barely healed up and he is already fighting again,"

"Sora is like that! Always ready for his friend," smiles Kairi. "We should help him though."

"I hope we don't injure them too much," told Aqua, not liking the idea to fight against misguided people. However they rush in to fight. It was only a matter of minutes before the villagers are fleeing from the castle.

Belle rushes up to see if the Beast is alright; the Keybearers followed her since none of them had noticed Gaston leaving the castle as well.

However Gaston had found the Beasts room and he raises his crossbow and takes aim. The Beast looks up at him, and then looks back down in sadness again.

Gaston on the other hand releases the arrow and it strikes the Beast in the shoulder. He screams in pain and stands up. Seeing a chance, Gaston rushes at him and they fly out the window onto the balcony.

Laughing loudly Gaston jumped after the beast and pushes him over the edge of the balcony, causing the Beast to roll down on the roof. Gaston jumps after him and ordered, "Get up!"

After kicking the Beast once he called, "Get up! What's the matter, Beast? Too kind and gentle to fight back?"

Ignoring Gaston's words the Beast looked down. Gaston went to the foreground and broke a piece of the roof off and went to the Beast and was about to smash the beast as Belle's voice came from the balcony. "No! Gaston! Don't do it!"

"Belle?" asked the Beast and looked up, spotting her, and as Gaston swings his weapon down at the Beast, the Beast catches it with his hand. Rising up, the cursed man roars in Gaston's face. They pulled over the control of the weapon and it separated, Gaston still having the club in his hands. He swung it against the Beast who just dodged and still attacks. Then they fall down to a different part of the rooftop and Gaston manages to kick the Beast away.

He proceeds forward and smashes his club on the head only to discover he hit a gargoyle.

"Come on out and fight!" called Gaston and told with a provoking tone, "Were you in love with her, Beast? Did you honestly think she'd want you when she had someone like me?"

The Beast came out and Gaston called at him, "It's over, Beast! Belle is mine!"

Then he attacked, but the Beast countered and grabs Gaston by the neck and holds him over the edge of the roof. Panicked, Gaston pleaded, "Put me down! Put me down. Please, don't hurt me! I'll do anything! Anything!"

The Beast looked angered at Gaston but the anger melts off and he pulled Gaston back on the rooftop. "Get out!" was his only order to him before he let him fall on the safe ground of the rooftop.

"Beast," came Belle's voice again and the Beast answered, "Belle."

He climbed up to her and reaches his hand at her outstretched hand and told while taking it, "You came back!"

Sora and the others arrived on the balcony in this moment and Sora was smiling, but suddenly he jumped with the others in shock as the Beast roared and they could see that Gaston was pulling a knife out of the Beast's back. In his pain, the Beast threw his arm back, causing Gaston to lose his balance and with a loud cry the hunter falls to his doom.

Belle caught the Beast before he could fall off and with the help of Sora and Riku they pulled him on the balcony. The loyal servants of the beast arrived at the place and saw in shock what happened. Kairi and Aqua tried with different healing spells to help the Beast, but it was a wasted effort.

"You came back…" whispered the Beast and Belle answered, "Of course I came back. I couldn't let them… Oh this is all my fault. If only I'd gotten here sooner."

"Maybe it's better this way." Answered the Beast, but Belle protested, "Don't talk like that. You'll be all right. We're together now. Everything's going to be fine. You'll see."

"At least I got to see you one… last… time," told the Beast while Belle pulls Beast's paw to her cheek. He holds it there for a second, then drops it. His head falls back and his eyes close. Belle was in disbelief of what happens here and puts her hand on his mouth. Then she began to cry and embraces his body. "No, no! Please! Please! Please don't leave me!"

Then she whispered, "I love you…"

Everybody looked down in grief, not noticing that the last petal of the rose falls down. But then something strange happened:

During this, a beam of light falls like a shooting star. Then another comes. And another, and another. Everybody began to notice what's happening and looked in confusion. Belle stops crying for a second, then starts to back away. The Beast rises up into the air magically and begins to turn. He is enveloped in a cloud of light, and becomes wrapped in his cloak.

Underneath, the Beast's body was shifting and forming. A fore paw comes out and the claws turn into fingers. A hind paw emerges and develops into a foot. Finally, a wind blows across his face and the fur melts away to reveal a young man. He gradually descends and is laid on the floor again. The fog disappears and Belle reaches out to touch him. She jerks her hand back, however, when the figure begins to move. It stands, then looks at its hands, then turns to face Belle. It is a human, with the same blue eyes as Beast. It was obviously the Beast, transformed. Belle gives him a mysterious look.

"Belle! It's me!" called the man. Belle looked at him and spoke after seeing his eyes, "It is you."

They kiss and a fireworks display explodes around them. The gloom surrounding the castle disappears, revealing a blue sky. The castle is transformed, with the gargoyles changing into cherubs.

The different living objects of the castle began to transform into people again and the former Beast called "Lumiere, Cogsworth! Oh, Mrs. Potts! Look at us!"

Chip came in and called "Mama! Mama!" before transforming back and Lumiere just said, "It is a miracle!"

Sora smiles to them. "It's great to see you alive!"

"Thanks Sora! Without you and your friend who knows if Belle would have been able to come back in time. Especially you, Riku! I noticed you fighting in the outside, but everything was without matter for me. Thanks for fighting for me."

"No problem!" told Riku. "Glad that I could help, even with the bad past we had."

"Do you want to stay for a while? We have to celebrate this!" told Belle, but Aqua shook her head. "I am sorry, but we have to move out. We encountered an enemy who nearly defeated us and we have to train."

"You're right… I forgot about what happened in the village," admits Belle, "But please come back once your travel is over."

"No problem, Belle! Once we solved everything, we'll come to a visit!" told Sora and they left with a goodbye, all four Keybearers knowing to which world they are going to next.

Outside the castle Gaston climbed back to the solid ground. During the fall, he managed to hold onto the rocks so he didn't fall the entire cliff down to the death.

He looked back at the castle, noticing the difference and shouted, "I don't know how you do this Beast! But I swear! If I cannot have Belle! Then nobody will have her!"

Not noticing the black smoke coming from his body he turned around and spots some Lightbringers coming to him. He smirks and told, "Good to see you! The Beast is still on the loose and we have to act quickly to kill it!"

However, the way the light creatures came close made Gaston nervous since as an experienced hunter he knows that this way of approach is only done by wild animals cornering their prey.

"What… what are you doing? Stay away from me! Leave me alone!" called Gaston but the Lightbringers jumped at him and one last cry was heard from Gaston before the Lightbringers disappeared, leaving behind a smoke of darkness that disappeared in the light.


End file.
